Paul and Jocelyn then move on to talking about the current job opening for a rental/events manager and they discuss what the job involves and the type of person or people they are looking for. It's possible the rental/event manager might be a position that could be filled by more than one person and definitely needs to have people involved who can figure out issues and work out problems without giving up.

Jocelyn discusses her time as a guest instructor at the Peasant PDC and being able to give the participants a reality check about how much work it actually takes to add event income to your homestead. It is then discussed how the basic framework for creating, hosting and advertising events already exists at Wheaton Labs and how that infrastructure could be expanded and grown into a full-time career for the right individual or possibly a team of individuals with varied strengths working together.

The podcast moves on to discussing the recent Peasant PDC. A former event manager was supposed to be an assistant instructor for the Peasant PDC but left before the event. Ernie and Erica Wisner arranged to come early to the event and Erica stepped up and took over the preparations for the event, as well as setting up a free workshop prior to the PDC. Ernie had to leave because of a flair-up of his on-going health issues and Erica returned and taught all the classes herself. Paul and Jocelyn can't say enough good things about Erica, her work ethic and positive attitude.

The Peasant PDC format allows guest instructors who might be in the area to teach segments of the class and see if their skills and knowledge might fit well into the more formal PDC structure. There was to be no food provided to Peasant PDC participants but Paul and Jocelyn did end up providing a variety of staples to the group as well as allowing the students to harvest wild greens and other food from the lab, including eating Paul's most magnificent rhubarb plant down to the nubs.

The discussion turns to other systems and opportunities that are available at the labs. Paul would also like to get an education coordinator onsite to teach the Peasant PDC and possibly other onsite events. There is also room for a resident natural builder, possibly building turnkey Wofati's and selling them. Paul and Jocelyn's long-range plan has always been to move into a Wofati on the property but it has taken longer than anticipated to get infrastructure, including multiple Wofati's, built on the labs. It also turns out a lot of time is still being spent on garbage clean-up.

Things have not turned out exactly as expected in the five years that Wheaton Labs has been in existence but things are in a constant state of building and growing and many people have been provided with educational and hands-on learning opportunities over the years. Because of the nature of the labs some projects are in need of repair or replacement and many projects are partially completed or need to be rebuilt. Paul and Jocelyn are constantly evaluating and improving the systems. Also discussed is the many opportunities to promote affiliate programs that are currently available for people to leverage and make connections to other networks and promote permies.com

The podcast winds up with Paul and Jocelyn talking about passing through Helena Montana on their recent road trip and taking a look at a community permaculture site that was setup several years ago by Jessica Peterson, a recent guest instructor at the 2018 Homestead PDC. Paul was minimally involved as member of the original group invited to help design the property at a Permaculture event set up by Jessica and he critiques the current state of the site and points out things he likes and things he would have done differently.

]]>Paul and Jocelyn start the podcast with a short discussion about the previous podcast, Mr. Slappy Finding Joy, and discuss how to start to design a system that works without requiring a "Mr. Slappy". In Paul's opinion the first step to solving a proble...
Paul and Jocelyn then move on to talking about the current job opening for a rental/events manager and they discuss what the job involves and the type of person or people they are looking for. It's possible the rental/event manager might be a position that could be filled by more than one person and definitely needs to have people involved who can figure out issues and work out problems without giving up.
Jocelyn discusses her time as a guest instructor at the Peasant PDC and being able to give the participants a reality check about how much work it actually takes to add event income to your homestead. It is then discussed how the basic framework for creating, hosting and advertising events already exists at Wheaton Labs and how that infrastructure could be expanded and grown into a full-time career for the right individual or possibly a team of individuals with varied strengths working together.
The podcast moves on to discussing the recent Peasant PDC. A former event manager was supposed to be an assistant instructor for the Peasant PDC but left before the event. Ernie and Erica Wisner arranged to come early to the event and Erica stepped up and took over the preparations for the event, as well as setting up a free workshop prior to the PDC. Ernie had to leave because of a flair-up of his on-going health issues and Erica returned and taught all the classes herself. Paul and Jocelyn can't say enough good things about Erica, her work ethic and positive attitude.
The Peasant PDC format allows guest instructors who might be in the area to teach segments of the class and see if their skills and knowledge might fit well into the more formal PDC structure. There was to be no food provided to Peasant PDC participants but Paul and Jocelyn did end up providing a variety of staples to the group as well as allowing the students to harvest wild greens and other food from the lab, including eating Paul's most magnificent rhubarb plant down to the nubs.
The discussion turns to other systems and opportunities that are available at the labs. Paul would also like to get an education coordinator onsite to teach the Peasant PDC and possibly other onsite events. There is also room for a resident natural builder, possibly building turnkey Wofati's and selling them. Paul and Jocelyn's long-range plan has always been to move into a Wofati on the property but it has taken longer than anticipated to get infrastructure, including multiple Wofati's, built on the labs. It also turns out a lot of time is still being spent on garbage clean-up.
Things have not turned out exactly as expected in the five years that Wheaton Labs has been in existence but things are in a constant state of building and growing and many people have been provided with educational and hands-on learning opportunities over the years. Because of the nature of the labs some projects are in need of repair or replacement and many projects are partially completed or need to be rebuilt. Paul and Jocelyn are constantly evaluating and improving the systems. Also discussed is the many opportunities to promote affiliate programs that are currently available for people to leverage and make connections to other networks and promote permies.com
The podcast winds up with Paul and Jocelyn talking about passing thro...]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:18:24podcast 406 – Mr. Slappy or Findinghttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/80675-podcast-406-mr-slappy-or-finding
Wed, 08 Aug 2018 08:51:43 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=80675https://richsoil.com/permaculture/80675-podcast-406-mr-slappy-or-finding#respondhttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/80675-podcast-406-mr-slappy-or-finding/feed0<p>Paul and Jocelyn are on a road trip through rural Montana and start off the podcast with an overview of several hot springs they were able to visit, managing to visit one near Whitehall Montana, even though Jocelyn is in flip-flops, with a broken foot and not supposed to be walking on uneven ground. Paul's […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul and Jocelyn are on a road trip through rural Montana and start off the podcast with an overview of several hot springs they were able to visit, managing to visit one near Whitehall Montana, even though Jocelyn is in flip-flops, with a broken foot and not supposed to be walking on uneven ground.

Paul's current Kickstarter managed to top out at an amazing $80,000 dollars on an initial funding request of $8,700 dollars. The Kickstarter occurred in the middle of Paul's current PDC and Appropriate Technology Course, causing an energy drain on Paul. Jocelyn points out that sitting behind a computer is exhausting, more than some people realize. Paul discusses the difficulties of producing and generating the content for the Kickstarter at the same time as everything else.

Coincidentally Paul and Jocelyn's Ten Year Anniversary (tin or aluminum in case you would like to send a gift or card) occurs just after the Kickstarter ends and that prompts the trip to the Hot Springs and the Lincoln, Montana Blackfoot Pathway's Sculpture Art Park. Paul and Jocelyn talk about the expenses associated with a Kickstarter campaign, the actual costs associated with the Kickstarter and what else is involved in creating the stretch goals and other expenses that occur with every event and project.

Mr. Slappy (a new term that hasn't come up previously during the over 400 podcasts) is a phrase that Paul remembers from his childhood but is unsure of the origin, but probably comes from a movie. Basically "Mr. Slappy" is a motivating person on each project who has to slap people around so they get with the program and understand that they need to "get shit done or we are all going to starve". Without a "Mr. Slappy" nothing much ever seems to get done and nothing moves forward.

Paul would like to think many projects today would be going forward without someone taking the role of "Mr. Slappy" but it seems that there are not many self-starters currently working. Many people bail when things seem to be getting tough or might get tough without actually attempting a task and figuring it out even when things get bumpy. Jocelyn points out that we have to work with the material we have, not the material we want.

The conversation moves on to discussing that Wheaton Labs is looking for someone, preferably with experience, to take on the role of Rental/Event Manager. Paul is open to someone with no experience attempting the job but they would have to be open to transitioning out of the role if it proves to be a poor fit. It is pointed out that Montana has some challenges with rental locations because of the sheer distance between locations. Internet access can be an obstacle to people living at the lab if they don’t have a data plan or hotspot so a future manager would be wise to take that into account and have a plan to deal with that as part of the job requirement.

Paul and Jocelyn then turn to talking about the Rocket Oven Kickstarter occurring in parallel with the Peasant PDC, the Scientific PDC and the ATC events. Paul gives credit to Alan Booker for running an information intensive PDC, well organized and packed full of useful stuff. Jocelyn was very impressed with Alan's knowledge and teaching prowess but found it a little overwhelming when all the men went into "engineer speak" and would really like to have more women come participate in events and activities at the lab (a point a future Event/Rental manager would be wise to explore). Kudos were also given to Chris "Uncle Mud" McClellan who ran the ATC this year, along with guest instructor James S. Juczak.

The podcast comes to a close with a brief discussion about Paul's next Kickstarter that will be for his new book, probably occurring several months from now. The new book is in process of being written and edited at this time and Paul is also working on the PEP (Permaculture Experience according to Paul) courses. PEP courses will be a series of educational programs that are currently being defined. PEP1 currently is being worked out as a two week course, PEP2 is a three month program, PEP3 will be a one year program and PEP4 will be a three year program. A more in-depth discussion of PEP can be found at permies.com in the educational forum.

]]>Paul and Jocelyn are on a road trip through rural Montana and start off the podcast with an overview of several hot springs they were able to visit, managing to visit one near Whitehall Montana, even though Jocelyn is in flip-flops,
Paul's current Kickstarter managed to top out at an amazing $80,000 dollars on an initial funding request of $8,700 dollars. The Kickstarter occurred in the middle of Paul's current PDC and Appropriate Technology Course, causing an energy drain on Paul. Jocelyn points out that sitting behind a computer is exhausting, more than some people realize. Paul discusses the difficulties of producing and generating the content for the Kickstarter at the same time as everything else.
Coincidentally Paul and Jocelyn's Ten Year Anniversary (tin or aluminum in case you would like to send a gift or card) occurs just after the Kickstarter ends and that prompts the trip to the Hot Springs and the Lincoln, Montana Blackfoot Pathway's Sculpture Art Park. Paul and Jocelyn talk about the expenses associated with a Kickstarter campaign, the actual costs associated with the Kickstarter and what else is involved in creating the stretch goals and other expenses that occur with every event and project.
Mr. Slappy (a new term that hasn't come up previously during the over 400 podcasts) is a phrase that Paul remembers from his childhood but is unsure of the origin, but probably comes from a movie. Basically "Mr. Slappy" is a motivating person on each project who has to slap people around so they get with the program and understand that they need to "get shit done or we are all going to starve". Without a "Mr. Slappy" nothing much ever seems to get done and nothing moves forward.
Paul would like to think many projects today would be going forward without someone taking the role of "Mr. Slappy" but it seems that there are not many self-starters currently working. Many people bail when things seem to be getting tough or might get tough without actually attempting a task and figuring it out even when things get bumpy. Jocelyn points out that we have to work with the material we have, not the material we want.
The conversation moves on to discussing that Wheaton Labs is looking for someone, preferably with experience, to take on the role of Rental/Event Manager. Paul is open to someone with no experience attempting the job but they would have to be open to transitioning out of the role if it proves to be a poor fit. It is pointed out that Montana has some challenges with rental locations because of the sheer distance between locations. Internet access can be an obstacle to people living at the lab if they don’t have a data plan or hotspot so a future manager would be wise to take that into account and have a plan to deal with that as part of the job requirement.
Paul and Jocelyn then turn to talking about the Rocket Oven Kickstarter occurring in parallel with the Peasant PDC, the Scientific PDC and the ATC events. Paul gives credit to Alan Booker for running an information intensive PDC, well organized and packed full of useful stuff. Jocelyn was very impressed with Alan's knowledge and teaching prowess but found it a little overwhelming when all the men went into "engineer speak" and would really like to have more women come participate in events and activities at the lab (a point a future Event/Rental manager would be wise to explore). Kudos were also given to Chris "Uncle Mud" McClellan who ran the ATC this year, along with guest instructor James S. Juczak.
The podcast comes to a close with a brief discussion about Paul's next Kickstarter that will be for his new book, probably occurring several months from now. The new book is in process of being written and edited at this time and Paul is also working on the PEP (Permaculture Experience according to Paul) courses. PEP courses will be a series of educational prog...]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:21:06podcast 405 – Review of Wild Wild Countryhttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/80672-podcast-405-review-of-wild-wild-country
Tue, 31 Jul 2018 21:02:36 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=80672https://richsoil.com/permaculture/80672-podcast-405-review-of-wild-wild-country#respondhttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/80672-podcast-405-review-of-wild-wild-country/feed0<p>Paul Wheaton and Jocelyn Campbell discuss the new Netflix documentary, Wild Wild Country, a six-part mini-series delving into the events surrounding spiritual guru Bhagwan Shree Rajineesh when he moved his ashram from India to Oregon in 1981 and what transpired after the move. Paul and Jocelyn begin the podcast with a review of the show, […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul Wheaton and Jocelyn Campbell discuss the new Netflix documentary, Wild Wild Country, a six-part mini-series delving into the events surrounding spiritual guru Bhagwan Shree Rajineesh when he moved his ashram from India to Oregon in 1981 and what transpired after the move. Paul and Jocelyn begin the podcast with a review of the show, discuss the thoughts and reactions that they experienced while viewing the documentary and share some of their views on community.

Paul and Jocelyn explore the strained relationship between the Rajineesh religious community and their closest local neighbors in the town of Antelope, Oregon. Eventually conflicts between the groups leads to an extreme hatred between the two groups and an escalation of harassment and bad behavior on both sides.

Paul draws a loose conclusion between the "weirdness" of the Rajineesh and the perceived "weirdness" of Permaculture enthusiasts. Paul and Jocelyn continue on to explore their individual takes on what is or is not a "cult" and if the group of Rajineesh rose to the level of a cult. Conversation moves on to some facts about the Rajineesh community and their Antelope, Oregon neighbors. Jocelyn then spends some time commenting on how difficult it is to watch a community be so closed minded and hateful towards other people who are different from themselves.

Wrapping up Paul talks about how the entire attempt by the Rajineesh to create their own community and the problems they faced are more the norm than the utopian view that most people envision when they think of intentional community. Paul talks about the level of conflict and friction that can occur between people attempting a different type of lifestyle, like Permaculture, and neighbors, family and friends who are not on board with people who are attempting a way that is different than their own.

Jocelyn shares how fortunate they are to be able to be in a situation where she and Paul are able to live life more on their own terms. Jocelyn points out that building community and relationships is an important part of Permaculture but sometimes you just can't build a positive relationship with some people.

Ending on a positive note Paul comments that he has brought himself to a place where he is strategically living in such a way to minimize the possibility of headaches and feels it going pretty well.

]]>Paul Wheaton and Jocelyn Campbell discuss the new Netflix documentary, Wild Wild Country, a six-part mini-series delving into the events surrounding spiritual guru Bhagwan Shree Rajineesh when he moved his ashram from India to Oregon in 1981 and what t...
Paul and Jocelyn explore the strained relationship between the Rajineesh religious community and their closest local neighbors in the town of Antelope, Oregon. Eventually conflicts between the groups leads to an extreme hatred between the two groups and an escalation of harassment and bad behavior on both sides.
Paul draws a loose conclusion between the "weirdness" of the Rajineesh and the perceived "weirdness" of Permaculture enthusiasts. Paul and Jocelyn continue on to explore their individual takes on what is or is not a "cult" and if the group of Rajineesh rose to the level of a cult. Conversation moves on to some facts about the Rajineesh community and their Antelope, Oregon neighbors. Jocelyn then spends some time commenting on how difficult it is to watch a community be so closed minded and hateful towards other people who are different from themselves.
Wrapping up Paul talks about how the entire attempt by the Rajineesh to create their own community and the problems they faced are more the norm than the utopian view that most people envision when they think of intentional community. Paul talks about the level of conflict and friction that can occur between people attempting a different type of lifestyle, like Permaculture, and neighbors, family and friends who are not on board with people who are attempting a way that is different than their own.
Jocelyn shares how fortunate they are to be able to be in a situation where she and Paul are able to live life more on their own terms. Jocelyn points out that building community and relationships is an important part of Permaculture but sometimes you just can't build a positive relationship with some people.
Ending on a positive note Paul comments that he has brought himself to a place where he is strategically living in such a way to minimize the possibility of headaches and feels it going pretty well.
Credit: Eric Tolbert
Support the podcast on Patreon
Relevant ThreadsWild Wild Country

Visiting Wheaton Labs
Discussion
You can discuss this podcast on this thread at Permies.
This podcast was made possible thanks to:
Full Name

Bill Crim

wade L

James Tutor

Suleiman ALAQEL

Josh Phillips

Jocelyn Campbell

Jason Hower

Ash Jackson

thomas adams

Julia Mason

Dominic Crolius

David Ingraham

Miroslav Ultrama

Bill Erickson

Lisa Goodspeed

G Cooper

Wayne Fajkus

Eivind W. Bjoerkavaag

Keith Kuhnsman

Dylan Butler

Dana Martin

Cody W.Get all of the podc...]]>Paul Wheatonyes53:04podcast 404 – Sharpeninghttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/80668-podcast-404-sharpening
Tue, 31 Jul 2018 01:56:50 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=80668https://richsoil.com/permaculture/80668-podcast-404-sharpening#respondhttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/80668-podcast-404-sharpening/feed0<p>A podcast with Paul, Fred and Jim (one of the instructors from the Appropriate Technology Course that just ended). Jim is the author of "High Art and Subtle Science of Scrounging". They reviewed a video about knife sharpening by Murray Carter, a 17th generation Yoshimoto blade smith. The video contained lots of excellent information but […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>A podcast with Paul, Fred and Jim (one of the instructors from the Appropriate Technology Course that just ended). Jim is the author of "High Art and Subtle Science of Scrounging".

They reviewed a video about knife sharpening by Murray Carter, a 17th generation Yoshimoto blade smith.

The video contained lots of excellent information but it was difficult to stay attentive to it, possibly due to it's long length (2 hrs and 50 min) and the density of the information being conveyed. Murray revealed some secrets and described the video as being the basics of knife sharpening for beginners.

Murray only used 2 stones and completed most of the sharpenings in just 2-3 minutes. He prefers to use water over oil stones and the 3 finger test and a few others for checking sharpness. He emphasises technique over contraptions and discusses why several of the contraptions are ineffective.

There was a detailed discussion of the 7 step procedure of knife sharpening described by Murray. They also went into some detail about the sharpening of primary and secondary edges and Murray's sharpening set up.

Several ways of testing sharpness were described as well as why you should never use a grinder to sharpen knives.

]]>A podcast with Paul, Fred and Jim (one of the instructors from the Appropriate Technology Course that just ended). Jim is the author of "High Art and Subtle Science of Scrounging". They reviewed a video about knife sharpening by Murray Carter,
They reviewed a video about knife sharpening by Murray Carter, a 17th generation Yoshimoto blade smith.
The video contained lots of excellent information but it was difficult to stay attentive to it, possibly due to it's long length (2 hrs and 50 min) and the density of the information being conveyed. Murray revealed some secrets and described the video as being the basics of knife sharpening for beginners.
Murray only used 2 stones and completed most of the sharpenings in just 2-3 minutes. He prefers to use water over oil stones and the 3 finger test and a few others for checking sharpness. He emphasises technique over contraptions and discusses why several of the contraptions are ineffective.
There was a detailed discussion of the 7 step procedure of knife sharpening described by Murray. They also went into some detail about the sharpening of primary and secondary edges and Murray's sharpening set up.
Several ways of testing sharpness were described as well as why you should never use a grinder to sharpen knives.
Credit: Penny McLoughlin
Support the podcast on Patreon
Relevant ThreadsInexpensive high carbon knives

Cody W.Get all of the podcasts in convenient, giant zip files ]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:04:37podcast 403 – Bits and Bobs towards Critical Mass – part 2https://richsoil.com/permaculture/80664-podcast-403-bits-and-bobs-towards-critical-mass-part-2
Tue, 24 Jul 2018 18:07:34 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=80664https://richsoil.com/permaculture/80664-podcast-403-bits-and-bobs-towards-critical-mass-part-2#respondhttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/80664-podcast-403-bits-and-bobs-towards-critical-mass-part-2/feed0<p>Paul Wheaton and Bill Erickson, a permies.com staff member, continue the podcast with discussion on what Paul would do differently if someone gave him a million dollars (in case anyone is wondering we are sure Paul would be open to it if you would like to make such a donation) and he could go back […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul Wheaton and Bill Erickson, a permies.com staff member, continue the podcast with discussion on what Paul would do differently if someone gave him a million dollars (in case anyone is wondering we are sure Paul would be open to it if you would like to make such a donation) and he could go back and start over at wheaton labs. Paul would start with a Permaculture-loving MBA, then hiring an Event Coordinator/Education Director (the position is currently available in real life) and a full-time Natural Builder. The discussion then delves into the roles those people would play and the impact it would/might have on wheaton labs.

Paul then brings up that Bill has agreed to work on a Biological Reverse Kickstarter. The intriguing title can be summed up by what is needed to improve the forward velocity at Wheaton Labs prompted by a forum-based discussion of revamping the bootcamp program by people who want to "throw money" at the program. People who are outside the program but watching the progress of participants would pledge money or items towards when artifacts are completed and the people who are pledging would influence what artifacts that they would like to see worked on or finished.

Many other topics are touched upon during the discussion of the Biological Reverse Kickstarter and various projects and learning opportunities that are available or might become available in the future. Paul points out that he has attempted to design the lab to be a "permaculture home" not a commuter job location. The discussion turns to PEP1 and PEP2 -basically a "Permaculture Experience" course or courses that would be defined by an understanding of a series of basic tasks or skills that would help a person be self-sufficient and competent to run a homestead or a farm. Bill points out you don't get paid to go to school - you're getting an education and Paul's bootcamp program is an educational opportunity.

The discussion between Bill and Paul continues on the possibility of modifying the bootcamp program to include pledges, ranging from items to money, how the "Human Factor" impacts all on-going relationships, a mini-rant about how there is "nothing to take pictures of" at wheaton labs, including junk pole fence, rock jacks, handmade gates, things growing on the berms, hugelkulture beds, chop and drop composting, ongoing projects at lab like the dry stack moon gate, etc. Bill makes a valid and on-point observation that if "you don't have skin in the game" nothing gets done and that you need a "Critical Mass" of like-minded people who are committed to making things work to move things forward.

Bill then relates the welcoming environment he found upon first experiencing wheaton labs and the fantastic person that is Fred. Fred is the gold standard of the kind of person that wheaton labs need to attract to reach the "Critical Mass" that moves the lab forward and gets projects done.

Bill and Paul move on to discuss Paul's book in progress, "How to Build a Better World in Your Backyard Instead of Being Angry at Bad Guys". Instead of creating a quick, low-key book as originally intended, Paul is in the process of taking the slower, longer route of editing the book for outreach to a larger number of people. The book will be an expansion of the concept behind the Permaculture playing cards that were an attempt to allow people who are bonkers about Permaculture to share their love of Permaculture with other people who are not yet aware of the wonders of Permaculture.

Following the book discussion there are kudos to the awesome people moving things forward, especially Fred and Jocelyn. They talk about Paul's YouTube videos having 73,000 subscribers but the changing algorithms have limited views of newly published videos to only several hundred followers, an issue that is happening to many video channels. Bill explains that he will be publishing a wiki on how to change your YouTube settings to make sure you get notified of new content and Paul and Bill go on to discuss how to improve YouTube viewership and rankings.

The podcast wraps up with talking about the burning question of "What is Paul doing with all the money"? Bill points out that Paul and Jocelyn live frugally and spend a lot of time and money promoting current and future projects, including feeding the boots and materials costs for the on-going projects. The podcast ends on a discussion of possibilities for a relaxing, friendly space at the top of the Volcano and Bill's advice to "get some time for your soul".

]]>Paul Wheaton and Bill Erickson, a permies.com staff member, continue the podcast with discussion on what Paul would do differently if someone gave him a million dollars (in case anyone is wondering we are sure Paul would be open to it if you would like...
Paul then brings up that Bill has agreed to work on a Biological Reverse Kickstarter. The intriguing title can be summed up by what is needed to improve the forward velocity at Wheaton Labs prompted by a forum-based discussion of revamping the bootcamp program by people who want to "throw money" at the program. People who are outside the program but watching the progress of participants would pledge money or items towards when artifacts are completed and the people who are pledging would influence what artifacts that they would like to see worked on or finished.
Many other topics are touched upon during the discussion of the Biological Reverse Kickstarter and various projects and learning opportunities that are available or might become available in the future. Paul points out that he has attempted to design the lab to be a "permaculture home" not a commuter job location. The discussion turns to PEP1 and PEP2 -basically a "Permaculture Experience" course or courses that would be defined by an understanding of a series of basic tasks or skills that would help a person be self-sufficient and competent to run a homestead or a farm. Bill points out you don't get paid to go to school - you're getting an education and Paul's bootcamp program is an educational opportunity.
The discussion between Bill and Paul continues on the possibility of modifying the bootcamp program to include pledges, ranging from items to money, how the "Human Factor" impacts all on-going relationships, a mini-rant about how there is "nothing to take pictures of" at wheaton labs, including junk pole fence, rock jacks, handmade gates, things growing on the berms, hugelkulture beds, chop and drop composting, ongoing projects at lab like the dry stack moon gate, etc. Bill makes a valid and on-point observation that if "you don't have skin in the game" nothing gets done and that you need a "Critical Mass" of like-minded people who are committed to making things work to move things forward.
Bill then relates the welcoming environment he found upon first experiencing wheaton labs and the fantastic person that is Fred. Fred is the gold standard of the kind of person that wheaton labs need to attract to reach the "Critical Mass" that moves the lab forward and gets projects done.
Bill and Paul move on to discuss Paul's book in progress, "How to Build a Better World in Your Backyard Instead of Being Angry at Bad Guys". Instead of creating a quick, low-key book as originally intended, Paul is in the process of taking the slower, longer route of editing the book for outreach to a larger number of people. The book will be an expansion of the concept behind the Permaculture playing cards that were an attempt to allow people who are bonkers about Permaculture to share their love of Permaculture with other people who are not yet aware of the wonders of Permaculture.
Following the book discussion there are kudos to the awesome people moving things forward, especially Fred and Jocelyn. They talk about Paul's YouTube videos having 73,000 subscribers but the changing algorithms have limited views of newly published videos to only several hundred followers, an issue that is happening to many video channels. Bill explains that he will be publishing a wiki on how to change your YouTube settings to make sure you get noti...]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:44:00podcast 402 – Bits and Bobs towards Critical Mass – part 1https://richsoil.com/permaculture/80660-podcast-402-bits-and-bobs-towards-critical-mass-part-1
Sun, 22 Jul 2018 14:41:31 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=80660https://richsoil.com/permaculture/80660-podcast-402-bits-and-bobs-towards-critical-mass-part-1#respondhttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/80660-podcast-402-bits-and-bobs-towards-critical-mass-part-1/feed0<p>Paul Wheaton and Bill Erickson, a permies staff member, start the podcast with discussion on how many times Bill has been at Wheaton Labs and the progression of the hugel beds since Bill has been there first. The discussion then touches on how nearby ABC Acres is tearing out their hugelkultur beds that are built […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul Wheaton and Bill Erickson, a permies staff member, start the podcast with discussion on how many times Bill has been at Wheaton Labs and the progression of the hugel beds since Bill has been there first. The discussion then touches on how nearby ABC Acres is tearing out their hugelkultur beds that are built on the flat. It seems that a lot of the ABC Acres systems for their chickens and other things are going well but their primary issue is they are fighting a lack of soil. Paul is baffled by their approach to building soil by apparently dismantling their hugel beds and wonders what has caused them to give up when things seem to be progressing in their soil building attempts.

The conversation turns to an audio tour of a lot of things that are growing around the labs, some things that are growing on the hugelkultur mounds and a lot of things that are not on the hugel mounds, including the fact there is a peach tree, not your typical Montana tree, that was started from a peach pit. The discussion moves on to why more people are not getting on the Rocket Mass Heater bandwagon and the conclusion Paul and Bill come to is that most people just have trouble believing that the RMH are actually as efficient as they are.

Paul and Bill talk about the upcoming Uncle Mud build of a "Shippable Core" class that will occur during the Appropriate Technology Course (ATC) and Batch Box vs. J-Tube style rocket mass heater builds. The exploration of Rocket Mass Heaters gets more in-depth covering the efficiencies of the stoves in comparison to conventional stoves, the savings in wood usage and how most of the numbers associated with RMH are too extreme for most people, including engineers, to believe that they are real.

Paul discusses the work that Ernie Wisner has done innovating on the Rocket Mass Heater and why Ernie is getting more than a bit cranky with the lack of movement in the field. Why keep solving problems if no one is paying attention to the solutions? Paul has been working on Permaculture for 13 years, and also wonders why he hasn't been able to reach more people - even though permies.com gets 1.4 million visits and 26 million page views per month.

Bill mentions he is a "Superbacker" on Kickstarter and explains what that entails and why he funds a wide range of projects, for many various reasons, mostly backing creativity of the content creators. Paul and Bill expand on how Kickstarter is great tool for fundraising for most projects but sometimes the rewards are out of sync for what the content creators are providing. There is some discussion also on how best to format a Kickstarter and what components are necessary and seem to work best to generate successful funding.

]]>Paul Wheaton and Bill Erickson, a permies staff member, start the podcast with discussion on how many times Bill has been at Wheaton Labs and the progression of the hugel beds since Bill has been there first.
The conversation turns to an audio tour of a lot of things that are growing around the labs, some things that are growing on the hugelkultur mounds and a lot of things that are not on the hugel mounds, including the fact there is a peach tree, not your typical Montana tree, that was started from a peach pit. The discussion moves on to why more people are not getting on the Rocket Mass Heater bandwagon and the conclusion Paul and Bill come to is that most people just have trouble believing that the RMH are actually as efficient as they are.
Paul and Bill talk about the upcoming Uncle Mud build of a "Shippable Core" class that will occur during the Appropriate Technology Course (ATC) and Batch Box vs. J-Tube style rocket mass heater builds. The exploration of Rocket Mass Heaters gets more in-depth covering the efficiencies of the stoves in comparison to conventional stoves, the savings in wood usage and how most of the numbers associated with RMH are too extreme for most people, including engineers, to believe that they are real.
Paul discusses the work that Ernie Wisner has done innovating on the Rocket Mass Heater and why Ernie is getting more than a bit cranky with the lack of movement in the field. Why keep solving problems if no one is paying attention to the solutions? Paul has been working on Permaculture for 13 years, and also wonders why he hasn't been able to reach more people - even though permies.com gets 1.4 million visits and 26 million page views per month.
Bill mentions he is a "Superbacker" on Kickstarter and explains what that entails and why he funds a wide range of projects, for many various reasons, mostly backing creativity of the content creators. Paul and Bill expand on how Kickstarter is great tool for fundraising for most projects but sometimes the rewards are out of sync for what the content creators are providing. There is some discussion also on how best to format a Kickstarter and what components are necessary and seem to work best to generate successful funding.
Credit: Eric Tolbert
Support the podcast on Patreon
Relevant ThreadsRocket Oven Kickstarter

Eric Wisner
Discussion
You can discuss this podcast on this thread at Permies.
This podcast was made possible thanks to:
Full Name

Bill Crim

Josh Phillips

wade L

James Tutor

Suleiman ALAQEL

Jocelyn Campbell

Jason Hower

]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:00:51podcast 401 – Permaculture Design Course for Scientists and Engineershttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/80656-podcast-401-permaculture-design-course-for-scientists-and-engineers
Tue, 17 Jul 2018 19:22:41 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=80656https://richsoil.com/permaculture/80656-podcast-401-permaculture-design-course-for-scientists-and-engineers#respondhttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/80656-podcast-401-permaculture-design-course-for-scientists-and-engineers/feed0<p>Paul Wheaton, instructors Alan Booker, Jessica Peterson, and most of the graduates of the just completed PDC course gather to discuss the class, their experiences and lessons learned. This class differed from previous classes in that it focused on more advanced topics and the students typically had more technical backgrounds in engineering, the sciences or […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul Wheaton, instructors Alan Booker, Jessica Peterson, and most of the graduates of the just completed PDC course gather to discuss the class, their experiences and lessons learned. This class differed from previous classes in that it focused on more advanced topics and the students typically had more technical backgrounds in engineering, the sciences or had pursued significant independent study prior to attending the class.

The first topic discussed is "Should a person take a PDC"? Alan and Paul briefly go over the format of the PDC, how the changes this year worked to improve the class and possible changes for the next PDC followed by a short conversation about Paul's loathing of goats. Alan then expands on the differences between teaching an intensive two week course compared to his normal method of teaching weekend classes over a fourteen week span.

Paul shifts into a mini-rant about the difference between "engineering speak" vs. "politician speak" and the difficulty in translating and relating to normal questions from non-engineers. Alan discusses the difference between "Permaculture Toolbox Rattlers" and actually using the principles of Permaculture in the context where they might actually be applicable. Jessica brings insight about how Systems Thinking is more about the connections than the specific design elements in the systems and how important your individual bio-region influences the connections and techniques that can be applied.

The newly graduated students then discuss the advantages of taking a PDC and the wealth of materials and resources covered in a class. Some students thought the course would be a "good refresher" but were pleasantly surprised to find it was more comprehensive and inclusive with a large amount of new information. Most attending felt Permaculture Design Courses are a good way to find out how things work together and can certainly be recommended for people who are interested in Permaculture, Design or Gardening and acquiring memorable and actionable information.

The discussion wraps up with a summary of the items and projects the students were able to examine while they were at the lab, including the solar dehydrator, the rocket mass heaters, the rocket heated shower, the rocket oven as well as many of the other experiments currently occurring at the Lab.

]]>Paul Wheaton, instructors Alan Booker, Jessica Peterson, and most of the graduates of the just completed PDC course gather to discuss the class, their experiences and lessons learned. This class differed from previous classes in that it focused on more...
The first topic discussed is "Should a person take a PDC"? Alan and Paul briefly go over the format of the PDC, how the changes this year worked to improve the class and possible changes for the next PDC followed by a short conversation about Paul's loathing of goats. Alan then expands on the differences between teaching an intensive two week course compared to his normal method of teaching weekend classes over a fourteen week span.
Paul shifts into a mini-rant about the difference between "engineering speak" vs. "politician speak" and the difficulty in translating and relating to normal questions from non-engineers. Alan discusses the difference between "Permaculture Toolbox Rattlers" and actually using the principles of Permaculture in the context where they might actually be applicable. Jessica brings insight about how Systems Thinking is more about the connections than the specific design elements in the systems and how important your individual bio-region influences the connections and techniques that can be applied.
The newly graduated students then discuss the advantages of taking a PDC and the wealth of materials and resources covered in a class. Some students thought the course would be a "good refresher" but were pleasantly surprised to find it was more comprehensive and inclusive with a large amount of new information. Most attending felt Permaculture Design Courses are a good way to find out how things work together and can certainly be recommended for people who are interested in Permaculture, Design or Gardening and acquiring memorable and actionable information.
The discussion wraps up with a summary of the items and projects the students were able to examine while they were at the lab, including the solar dehydrator, the rocket mass heaters, the rocket heated shower, the rocket oven as well as many of the other experiments currently occurring at the Lab.
Credit: Eric Tolbert
Support the podcast on Patreon
Relevant ThreadsWheaton Labs 2018 PDC

Cody W.Get all of the podcasts in convenient, giant zip files ]]>Paul Wheatonyes49:47podcast 400 – Rocket Ovenhttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/80652-podcast-400-rocket-oven
Fri, 13 Jul 2018 02:01:24 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=80652https://richsoil.com/permaculture/80652-podcast-400-rocket-oven#respondhttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/80652-podcast-400-rocket-oven/feed0<p>Paul and Fred sit down to talk about rocket ovens. Also cherries. Folks picked 12 gallons of cherries this morning (!) Fred’s been pitting the cherries in preparation for drying them (in the super solar food dehydrator - Kickstarter stretch goal!) and he’s going to plant the cherry pits all over the place. Go support […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul and Fred sit down to talk about rocket ovens. Also cherries. Folks picked 12 gallons of cherries this morning (!) Fred’s been pitting the cherries in preparation for drying them (in the super solar food dehydrator - Kickstarter stretch goal!) and he’s going to plant the cherry pits all over the place.

Go support the rocket oven kickstarter! It was funded in 18 hours, so it’s definitely happening. It’s well over the minimum, so that’s great. Paul figured he would not earn any money unless the funding went over $13K. Money is needed at Wheaton Labs. Many vehicles are in need of love.

So many morel mushrooms were picked and dried in the big solar dehydrator - Fred picked over 40 pounds of morels. (Did I mention that a documentary on how to make one is a stretch goal for the Kickstarter??)

Three rocket ovens have been built at Wheaton Labs. The first one is part of the 4 DVD package “Better Wood Heat.” The design has been improved. The second build was again by Tim Barker at the innovator’s event. Next, they pulled the engine from it and built a grate for it, so you could put a pot of water on the flame.

At last year’s ATC Tyler Morrison built a new and improved rocket oven. He went back to Seattle and built #4, then he built #5 and they video’d the whole thing. This last build requires NO welding, and it goes pretty fast.

Getting ready for the Kickstarter, Paul made some videos of how fast it heats up and how that compares to other ovens. A cob oven takes many hours, and a lot of wood, to heat up. A modern oven takes over 11 minutes to get to 350 degrees. Fred went up to see how long the rocket oven would take to get to 350 degrees - he didn’t do so well on his first try. Erica got it to 350 in 7 minutes 30 seconds. Usually it got there in 9 minutes.

Paul feels like the rocket oven could go to 900 degrees, for traditional thin pizza, no problem. Not sure that’s been done yet. (Note from the typer: we got our rocket oven to well over 600 degrees and it made great pizza!)

They did multiple trials where they weighed how much wood it took to cook various things in the rocket oven: pizza, cake, roasts, cornbread, banana bread, etc etc and pie. A lot of this was for the peasant PDC, as they prepared their own food. Almost everything could be cooked with 2 to 4 pounds of wood.

Really. Not much wood.

When we cooked 8 pizzas in half an hour, we used 5 pounds of wood. This took half an hour. The rocket oven makes a Friday pizza party a real possibility!

Paul has a cool recipe for polydough, where you make a gallon of dough and keep it in the fridge. You can pull off chunks of dough to make different things: pizza, cinnamon rolls, pigs in a blanket, fry bread.

“Propane is not really off-grid.” If you are cooking with propane, you are bringing the grid to your place.

If you have 4’ x 4’ x 4’ of twigs and branches, that’s half a cord. Paul guesses that you could cook for 200 days with half a cord of wood, if it’s in small pieces.

If you have a cob oven, you’re going to produce a massive amount of smoke as you heat the thing up. If you build Ernie’s cool double chambered cob oven, you burn the smoke, but the heat produced just goes straight up into the sky.

When you cook in the rocket oven, there’s hardly any smoke (generally only at the beginning while it’s heating up). Your neighbors will not know that you’re burning, other than smelling the pizza!

Carbon footprint. The biggest thing you could do to decrease your carbon footprint is switch to a rocket mass heater. Maybe the rocket oven can be a gateway drug to rocket mass heaters! (Paul’s goal is to improve people’s lives so much that they don’t feel like using their car. They don’t want to go anywhere. Thus shrinking their carbon footprint.)

The rocket oven Kickstarter is going on now (until July 26, 2018). There are lots of cool things that you can get at the $1 and $5 level. A couple of the stretch goals will add things for everyone who is in for $15 or more. ($15 gets you streaming access to the rocket oven instructional documentary, which will definitely be more than 75 minutes long.) At higher levels, you can get the 8 DVD set, and video of the ATC from last year, and other cool things - check it out!

]]>Paul and Fred sit down to talk about rocket ovens. Also cherries. Folks picked 12 gallons of cherries this morning (!) Fred’s been pitting the cherries in preparation for drying them (in the super solar food dehydrator - Kickstarter stretch goal!
Go support the rocket oven kickstarter! It was funded in 18 hours, so it’s definitely happening. It’s well over the minimum, so that’s great. Paul figured he would not earn any money unless the funding went over $13K. Money is needed at Wheaton Labs. Many vehicles are in need of love.
So many morel mushrooms were picked and dried in the big solar dehydrator - Fred picked over 40 pounds of morels. (Did I mention that a documentary on how to make one is a stretch goal for the Kickstarter??)
Three rocket ovens have been built at Wheaton Labs. The first one is part of the 4 DVD package “Better Wood Heat.” The design has been improved. The second build was again by Tim Barker at the innovator’s event. Next, they pulled the engine from it and built a grate for it, so you could put a pot of water on the flame.
At last year’s ATC Tyler Morrison built a new and improved rocket oven. He went back to Seattle and built #4, then he built #5 and they video’d the whole thing. This last build requires NO welding, and it goes pretty fast.
Getting ready for the Kickstarter, Paul made some videos of how fast it heats up and how that compares to other ovens. A cob oven takes many hours, and a lot of wood, to heat up. A modern oven takes over 11 minutes to get to 350 degrees. Fred went up to see how long the rocket oven would take to get to 350 degrees - he didn’t do so well on his first try. Erica got it to 350 in 7 minutes 30 seconds. Usually it got there in 9 minutes.
Paul feels like the rocket oven could go to 900 degrees, for traditional thin pizza, no problem. Not sure that’s been done yet. (Note from the typer: we got our rocket oven to well over 600 degrees and it made great pizza!)
They did multiple trials where they weighed how much wood it took to cook various things in the rocket oven: pizza, cake, roasts, cornbread, banana bread, etc etc and pie. A lot of this was for the peasant PDC, as they prepared their own food. Almost everything could be cooked with 2 to 4 pounds of wood.
Really. Not much wood.
When we cooked 8 pizzas in half an hour, we used 5 pounds of wood. This took half an hour. The rocket oven makes a Friday pizza party a real possibility!
Paul has a cool recipe for polydough, where you make a gallon of dough and keep it in the fridge. You can pull off chunks of dough to make different things: pizza, cinnamon rolls, pigs in a blanket, fry bread.
“Propane is not really off-grid.” If you are cooking with propane, you are bringing the grid to your place.
If you have 4’ x 4’ x 4’ of twigs and branches, that’s half a cord. Paul guesses that you could cook for 200 days with half a cord of wood, if it’s in small pieces.
If you have a cob oven, you’re going to produce a massive amount of smoke as you heat the thing up. If you build Ernie’s cool double chambered cob oven, you burn the smoke, but the heat produced just goes straight up into the sky.
When you cook in the rocket oven, there’s hardly any smoke (generally only at the beginning while it’s heating up). Your neighbors will not know that you’re burning, other than smelling the pizza!
Carbon footprint. The biggest thing you could do to decrease your carbon footprint is switch to a rocket mass heater. Maybe the rocket oven can be a gateway drug to rocket mass heaters! (Paul’s goal is to improve people’s lives so much that they don’t feel like using their car. They don’t want to go anywhere. Thus shrinking their carbon footprint.)
The rocket oven Kickstarter is going on now (until July 26, 2018). There are lots of cool things that you can get at the $1 and $5 level.]]>Paul Wheatonyes34:42podcast 399 – Hugelkultur at basecamphttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/80649-podcast-399-hugelkultur-at-basecamp
Tue, 10 Jul 2018 17:00:19 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=80649https://richsoil.com/permaculture/80649-podcast-399-hugelkultur-at-basecamp#respondhttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/80649-podcast-399-hugelkultur-at-basecamp/feed0<p>Paul and Fred discuss the history and report on the progress of the hugelkultur berms at basecamp. The podcast starts out with a brief history of why the berms were created, how they were created, the components included in the berm itself, and the part the berms are playing in improving soil conditions. In the […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul and Fred discuss the history and report on the progress of the hugelkultur berms at basecamp. The podcast starts out with a brief history of why the berms were created, how they were created, the components included in the berm itself, and the part the berms are playing in improving soil conditions.

In the first couple of years there was a lot of animal pressure from deer, turkeys, chipmunks and rabbits until the chipmunk population started to ease and there is some speculation between Paul and Fred as to why that might be. Once a feral cat, aptly named Gert, appeared on the hugel scene the animal pressure mostly disappeared and the hugel beds begin to grow lush and "jungle-ly".

Paul and Fred move on to discussing the soil conditions, or lack of soil, at basecamp and the state of the property when Paul acquired the acreage. They explain why the main hugelkultur bed near the Fisher Price house is very tall, narrow and should be physically impossible except for the fact that it currently exists.

Paul explains the concept of "Bootcamp for Perennials" and how that program pertains to hugel berms and the plants that have been installed on the berms. Organic matter is being increased on the berms through different means, including Chop and Drop, Mulching, planting and other means to keep the material in place on the berms. Discussion turns to the types of plants that have gone through Bootcamp, Paul's appreciation for Rhubarb, transplanted fruit trees, seasonal conditions and the impact on trees and plants around wheaton labs.

Fred and Paul then talk about the plants found on the berms including Sepp Holzer's perennial grain, volunteer potatoes, wild buckwheat, rhubarb, sunchokes (Jerusalem artichoke), prickly lettuce among others. They then segue way into the advantages of indigo clothing, tall fescue and the ability to fertilize the property in a natural way. The discussion moves on to a lengthy list of fruits and vegetables that are now growing on the hugelkultur beds, including buckbrush, serviceberries, lemon balm, comfrey, vetch, mustard, mullein and many more.

After the cataloguing of growth currently on the berms there is an overview of the intention and reasoning about establishing a polyculture environment without a large amount of actual effort. Now in the fourth year the hugelkultur beds are improving the soil and beginning to produce food and the hope is that in the next year it will be possible to grow a full hugelkultur garden with minimal-to-no watering.

The Podcasts winds up with a summary of the 2018 PDC for scientists and engineers taught by Alan Booker of the Eldenbridge Institute.

]]>Paul and Fred discuss the history and report on the progress of the hugelkultur berms at basecamp. The podcast starts out with a brief history of why the berms were created, how they were created, the components included in the berm itself,
In the first couple of years there was a lot of animal pressure from deer, turkeys, chipmunks and rabbits until the chipmunk population started to ease and there is some speculation between Paul and Fred as to why that might be. Once a feral cat, aptly named Gert, appeared on the hugel scene the animal pressure mostly disappeared and the hugel beds begin to grow lush and "jungle-ly".
Paul and Fred move on to discussing the soil conditions, or lack of soil, at basecamp and the state of the property when Paul acquired the acreage. They explain why the main hugelkultur bed near the Fisher Price house is very tall, narrow and should be physically impossible except for the fact that it currently exists.
Paul explains the concept of "Bootcamp for Perennials" and how that program pertains to hugel berms and the plants that have been installed on the berms. Organic matter is being increased on the berms through different means, including Chop and Drop, Mulching, planting and other means to keep the material in place on the berms. Discussion turns to the types of plants that have gone through Bootcamp, Paul's appreciation for Rhubarb, transplanted fruit trees, seasonal conditions and the impact on trees and plants around wheaton labs.
Fred and Paul then talk about the plants found on the berms including Sepp Holzer's perennial grain, volunteer potatoes, wild buckwheat, rhubarb, sunchokes (Jerusalem artichoke), prickly lettuce among others. They then segue way into the advantages of indigo clothing, tall fescue and the ability to fertilize the property in a natural way. The discussion moves on to a lengthy list of fruits and vegetables that are now growing on the hugelkultur beds, including buckbrush, serviceberries, lemon balm, comfrey, vetch, mustard, mullein and many more.
After the cataloguing of growth currently on the berms there is an overview of the intention and reasoning about establishing a polyculture environment without a large amount of actual effort. Now in the fourth year the hugelkultur beds are improving the soil and beginning to produce food and the hope is that in the next year it will be possible to grow a full hugelkultur garden with minimal-to-no watering.
The Podcasts winds up with a summary of the 2018 PDC for scientists and engineers taught by Alan Booker of the Eldenbridge Institute.
Credit: Eric Tolbert
Support the podcast on Patreon
Relevant ThreadsWheaton Labs Hugelkultur Forum

Patreon
Discussion
You can discuss this podcast on this thread at Permies.
This podcast was made possible thanks to:
Full Name

Bill Crim

Josh Phillips

wade L

James Tutor

Suleiman ALAQEL

Jocelyn Campbell

Jason Hower

Ash Jackson is The Scrollbard

thomas adams

Julia Mason

Dominic Crolius

David Ingraham

Miroslav Ultrama

Lisa Goodspeed

Bill Erickson

Keith Kuhnsman

Wayne Fajkus

Eivind W. Bjoerkavaag

]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:26:52podcast 398 – Review of Gracie’s Backyard – Part 2https://richsoil.com/permaculture/80639-podcast-398-review-of-gracies-backyard-part-2
Mon, 02 Jul 2018 18:57:03 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=80639https://richsoil.com/permaculture/80639-podcast-398-review-of-gracies-backyard-part-2#respondhttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/80639-podcast-398-review-of-gracies-backyard-part-2/feed0<p>Part two of a two-part podcast by Paul Wheaton and Julia Winter discussing the movie "Gracie's Backyard". "Gracie's Backyard" is a documentary about Richard Perkin's Ridgedale Permaculture Farm in Sweden, by filmmaker Olivier Asselin, that follows Richard, his wife and their daughter Gracie around Richard's farm and describes some of the things they are doing […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Part two of a two-part podcast by Paul Wheaton and Julia Winter discussing the movie "Gracie's Backyard". "Gracie's Backyard" is a documentary about Richard Perkin's Ridgedale Permaculture Farm in Sweden, by filmmaker Olivier Asselin, that follows Richard, his wife and their daughter Gracie around Richard's farm and describes some of the things they are doing on the farm, why they do things that way and plans they have for the future.

Paul and Julia pick up the discussion with an in-depth overview of the chicken processing operations and Paul's take on chicken raising, the pros and cons of using Salatin-style chicken tractors and the possible advantages of paddock shifting chickens in the same manner as recommended for other, larger, farm livestock.

The review progresses and we discover that Paul's current mission is "Gardening Gardeners" and how his current passion and vision for expanding community occasionally bring his views and observations into conflict with some other people's level of knowledge about particular jobs and skill sets, what their expectations of intentional community life should be like and how to best achieve that.

After a short discussion about Ant Village expectations, realities, infrastructure and food systems Paul and Julia return to the film and talk about Richard Perkin's Keyline plowing techniques, the limitations of the types of trees that could be grown at the location of the farm, and when Keyline is and is not appropriate based on land and environment. Milking cows, proper use of electrical fencing, transforming a coniferous forest and how to properly store an intern (intern housing) are also covered.

Later in the documentary Richard Perkin's wife's discusses her experience with prior farming community which leads to a lengthy discussion of the impact of community, how best to try and work within the community structure and minimize the stress on community by neighbors that have drama. Paul explains it is understandable that Richard has "thrown out all the old community building models" and discusses the benefits of community with a central leader model.

Wrapping up the podcast we find out Paul's opinion on scything of hay, why it would probably be of value if Ridgedale Farm installed some berms, the near-glamourous facilities available and changes to the infrastructure at Wheaton Labs, a recap of some of the recent and upcoming events and a shout-out to Justin Rhodes and his "adorable family" (Julia's words).

Paul and Julia agree that Richard's stated motivation, of being able to move to the farm to be able to raise his family on the land, is a worthwhile goal. In summary while Paul finds that he would do some things differently he thinks "Richard is an artist of seed and soil" and the film has many positive and uplifting messages and is well worth watching.

]]>Part two of a two-part podcast by Paul Wheaton and Julia Winter discussing the movie "Gracie's Backyard". "Gracie's Backyard" is a documentary about Richard Perkin's Ridgedale Permaculture Farm in Sweden, by filmmaker Olivier Asselin,
Paul and Julia pick up the discussion with an in-depth overview of the chicken processing operations and Paul's take on chicken raising, the pros and cons of using Salatin-style chicken tractors and the possible advantages of paddock shifting chickens in the same manner as recommended for other, larger, farm livestock.
The review progresses and we discover that Paul's current mission is "Gardening Gardeners" and how his current passion and vision for expanding community occasionally bring his views and observations into conflict with some other people's level of knowledge about particular jobs and skill sets, what their expectations of intentional community life should be like and how to best achieve that.
After a short discussion about Ant Village expectations, realities, infrastructure and food systems Paul and Julia return to the film and talk about Richard Perkin's Keyline plowing techniques, the limitations of the types of trees that could be grown at the location of the farm, and when Keyline is and is not appropriate based on land and environment. Milking cows, proper use of electrical fencing, transforming a coniferous forest and how to properly store an intern (intern housing) are also covered.
Later in the documentary Richard Perkin's wife's discusses her experience with prior farming community which leads to a lengthy discussion of the impact of community, how best to try and work within the community structure and minimize the stress on community by neighbors that have drama. Paul explains it is understandable that Richard has "thrown out all the old community building models" and discusses the benefits of community with a central leader model.
Wrapping up the podcast we find out Paul's opinion on scything of hay, why it would probably be of value if Ridgedale Farm installed some berms, the near-glamourous facilities available and changes to the infrastructure at Wheaton Labs, a recap of some of the recent and upcoming events and a shout-out to Justin Rhodes and his "adorable family" (Julia's words).
Paul and Julia agree that Richard's stated motivation, of being able to move to the farm to be able to raise his family on the land, is a worthwhile goal. In summary while Paul finds that he would do some things differently he thinks "Richard is an artist of seed and soil" and the film has many positive and uplifting messages and is well worth watching.
Credit: Eric Tolbert
Support the podcast on Patreon
Relevant Threadspodcast 397 - Review of Gracie's Backyard - Part 1

Patreon
Discussion
You can discuss this podcast on this thread at Permies.
This podcast was made possible thanks to:
Full Name

Bill Crim

Josh Phillips

wade L

James Tutor

Suleiman ALAQEL

Jocelyn Campbell

]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:03:23podcast 397 – Review of Gracie’s Backyard – Part 1https://richsoil.com/permaculture/80637-podcast-397-review-of-gracies-backyard-part-1
Fri, 29 Jun 2018 17:13:16 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=80637<p>Part one of a two-part podcast by Paul Wheaton and Julia Winter, a permies follower and Pediatrician by day who is visiting Wheaton Labs to participate in the Schmoozaroo. Paul and Julia will be discussing the movie Gracie's Backyard and how difficult it is to actually be around Paul in person. They start with a […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Part one of a two-part podcast by Paul Wheaton and Julia Winter, a permies follower and Pediatrician by day who is visiting Wheaton Labs to participate in the Schmoozaroo. Paul and Julia will be discussing the movie Gracie's Backyard and how difficult ...
They start with a short discussion of what Wheaton Labs was like in the very early days and the progress that has been made since the start of Paul's dream of World Domination and working community and how it compares to the vision of the Kickstarter documentary "Gracie's Backyard".
"Gracie's Backyard" is a documentary about Richard Perkin's Ridgedale Permaculture Farm in Sweden, by filmmaker Olivier Asselin, who also created the film "The Permaculture Orchard: Beyond Organic". The discussion starts with an overview of some of Paul's three pages of notes, including growing things in rows, the advantages of no till, Paul's vision of ideal food systems and an exploration of some of the people who inhabit and work on the Ridgedale farm.
The discussion takes a sharp turn into comparing Missoula and Portland and the social environments and goes into depth about the World Naked Bike Ride in Portland before they bring it back around to the farmland and environment found at Ridgedale Permaculture Farm, including the animals, processes used to manage the livestock, interns and how many people are on the farm and the roles they fulfil.
After an interlude to digress about what can be done during winter and the challenges a farm faces the discussion returns to the market garden processes at Ridgedale and some observations about processes that are of a concern in the farm setup and moving on to egg safety, No dig/no till farming, gnarly carrots and makeup.
To be continued in part 2.
Credit: Eric Tolbert
Support the podcast on Patreon
Relevant ThreadsPurple and Brown Schmoozaroo

Cody W.Get all of the podcasts in convenient, giant zip files ]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:02:25podcast 396 – Jumpstarting Communityhttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/80600-podcast-396-jumpstarting-community
Fri, 23 Mar 2018 00:34:51 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=80600<p>In this podcast Jocelyn, Fred and Paul talk about the process of building community. There are lots of challenges including keeping things functional, clean and moving forward. They talk about developing relationships in a way that helps maintain the critical mass of a prospering community as well as all of the other projects that are […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>In this podcast Jocelyn, Fred and Paul talk about the process of building community. There are lots of challenges including keeping things functional, clean and moving forward. They talk about developing relationships in a way that helps maintain the c...
Credit: Craig Dobbson
Support the podcast on Patreon
Relevant ThreadsBuilding community

Homesteader PDC ATC
Discussion
You can discuss this podcast on this thread at Permies.
This podcast was made possible thanks to:
Lisa Goodspeed

Keith Kuhnsman

thomas adams

Jocelyn Campbell

Julia Mason

Bill Erickson

Dominic Crolius

Josh Phillips

wade L

Suleiman ALAQEL

Ash Jackson is The Scrollbard

Jason Hower

Bill Crim

Full Name

Miroslav Ultrama

James Tutor

David Ingraham

Scott Reid

Wayne FajkusGet all of the podcasts in convenient, giant zip files ]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:28:04podcast 395 – Review of the Song of Increasehttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/80590-podcast-395-review-of-the-song-of-increase
Wed, 14 Mar 2018 00:32:31 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=80590<p>In this podcast, Paul and Jocelyn sit down to talk about Jacqueline Freeman's new book "The Song of Increase" which is about honeybees and the sounds that they make as a colony and individuals. They talk at length about the different sounds that bees make to communicate with each other about the overall health and […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>In this podcast, Paul and Jocelyn sit down to talk about Jacqueline Freeman's new book "The Song of Increase" which is about honeybees and the sounds that they make as a colony and individuals. They talk at length about the different sounds that bees m...
Credit: Craig Dobbson
Support the podcast on Patreon
Relevant ThreadsWelcome Jacqueline

Wayne FajkusGet all of the podcasts in convenient, giant zip files ]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:15:52podcast 394 – Permaculture Smackdown on Appropriate Technologyhttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/80574-podcast-394-permaculture-smackdown-on-appropriate-technology
Sun, 11 Mar 2018 02:51:06 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=80574<p>In this podcast Josiah and Paul have a good talk about the Appropriate Technology Course that is going to be taught at Wheaton Labs this year. Paul and Josiah discuss what they think are the types of technologies that are applicable to the realm of permaculture. They talk about how these technologies are used to […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>In this podcast Josiah and Paul have a good talk about the Appropriate Technology Course that is going to be taught at Wheaton Labs this year. Paul and Josiah discuss what they think are the types of technologies that are applicable to the realm of per...
They talk for a while about the structure and layout of the ATC (Appropriate Technology Course), as well as a new event for the year, called the Brown and Purple Schmoozaroo at Allerton Abbey. This will be a community building event for folks who want to mingle and dabble in the Wheaton Lab events, but don't want to get overwhelmed with laborious ATC activities all day long. It's a little more laid back approach to making permaculture community. It's free to anyone who has already been to the lab before and you can stay for a few days or all five weeks. This event coincides with the Peasant PDC.
The biggest project that will be handled during the ATC, will be a complete overhaul of the electric tractor. So many modifications need to be made, but once it's complete, the tractor will be one of the biggest assets at Wheaton Labs. Come on out to the ATC, PDC, Peasant PDC or the Schmoozaroo. All the links are located below.
Credit: Craig Dobbson
Support the podcast on Patreon
Relevant Threads2018 PDC, ATC info page

Wayne FajkusGet all of the podcasts in convenient, giant zip files ]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:04:04podcast 393 – Joseph Lofthouse on plant breeding – part 2https://richsoil.com/permaculture/80570-podcast-393-joseph-lofthouse-on-plant-breeding-part-2
Fri, 09 Mar 2018 01:34:59 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=80570<p>This is part two of a discussion between Paul, Jocelyn and Joseph Lofthouse. It's a continuation of their conversation from part one. In this part they start off by talking about the difference between the terms Open Pollination, Heirloom and what Joseph refers to as Promiscuously Pollinated, because he likes to focus on keeping a […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>This is part two of a discussion between Paul, Jocelyn and Joseph Lofthouse. It's a continuation of their conversation from part one. In this part they start off by talking about the difference between the terms Open Pollination,
In this part they start off by talking about the difference between the terms Open Pollination, Heirloom and what Joseph refers to as Promiscuously Pollinated, because he likes to focus on keeping a ton genetic variety in his garden. He really likes yellow crookneck squash, so in order to keep the diversity up, he plants 50 varieties of them in one place. Every year, he adds about ten percent of chaos into the mix of seeds that he's selected. Again, this is all for the diversity and potential for better, stronger crops.
They talk a little bit about the observations that they make and how you can learn a lot about your land and seeds so that you can have better harvests. There are so many interactions between species of all sorts, that you really have to be paying close attention to pick up on some of the tiny details that can make or break a crop.
This podcast is so packed full of information and wonderful conversation between people who really care about spreading the word about landrace growing and permaculture practices. See the links below for even more from Joseph Lofthouse.
Credit: Craig Dobbson
Support the podcast on Patreon
Relevant Threadspodcast 392 - Joseph Lofthouse on plant breeding - part 1

Joseph's website
Discussion
You can discuss this podcast on this thread at Permies.
This podcast was made possible thanks to:
Lisa Goodspeed

Keith Kuhnsman

thomas adams

Jocelyn Campbell

Julia Mason

Bill Erickson

Dominic Crolius

Josh Phillips

wade L

Suleiman ALAQEL

Ash Jackson is The Scrollbard

Jason Hower

Bill Crim

Full Name

Miroslav Ultrama

James Tutor

David Ingraham

Scott Reid

Wayne FajkusGet all of the podcasts in convenient, giant zip files ]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:15:30podcast 392 – Joseph Lofthouse on plant breeding – part 1https://richsoil.com/permaculture/80565-podcast-392-joseph-lofthouse-on-plant-breeding-part-1
Tue, 06 Mar 2018 02:19:15 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=80565<p>In this podcast Paul and Jocelyn sit down with Joseph Lofthouse and talk about seeds, plants, breeding plants and foraging. Joseph is known and admired for the specific way that he breeds plants to achieve results that few other plant breeders have been able to duplicate. Joseph is passing through wheaton labs on his way […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>In this podcast Paul and Jocelyn sit down with Joseph Lofthouse and talk about seeds, plants, breeding plants and foraging. Joseph is known and admired for the specific way that he breeds plants to achieve results that few other plant breeders have bee...
Joseph is a landrace gardener which means he breeds plants to be genetically diverse so that they can be more resilient to all that nature can throw at them as well as be super delicious and reliable. The result is a plant variety that can adapt and overcome a wide range of conditions and circumstances that most other plant of that species cannot. Joseph uses no soil amendments, fertilizers, compost or mulch in his garden. Growing in poor soils allows Joseph to select only the absolute best performing plants. Because of this, when other people grow his seeds in their own fertile soils, they often have outstanding results.
This is part one in a series of talks with Joseph. Be sure to look out for part two coming soon.
Credit: Craig Dobbson
Support the podcast on Patreon
Relevant Threadspodcast 392 - Joseph Lofthouse on plant breeding - part 1

Joseph's website
Discussion
You can discuss this podcast on this thread at Permies.
This podcast was made possible thanks to:
Lisa Goodspeed

Keith Kuhnsman

thomas adams

Jocelyn Campbell

Julia Mason

Bill Erickson

Dominic Crolius

Josh Phillips

wade L

Suleiman ALAQEL

Ash Jackson is The Scrollbard

Jason Hower

Bill Crim

Full Name

Miroslav Ultrama

James Tutor

David IngrahamGet all of the podcasts in convenient, giant zip files ]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:09:04podcast 391 – Permaculture Smackdown on Residual Income Streamshttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/80561-podcast-391-permaculture-smackdown-residual-income-streams
Fri, 02 Mar 2018 01:48:49 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=80561<p>In this podcast Paul and Josiah talk about residual income streams. A residual income stream is small trickle of money that comes in by way of work you've done in the past. Some examples are the creation of advertising on web pages, articles, videos and other digital content. Paul was able to quit his day […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>In this podcast Paul and Josiah talk about residual income streams. A residual income stream is small trickle of money that comes in by way of work you've done in the past. Some examples are the creation of advertising on web pages, articles,
They go on to talk about real estate, investing in land and people. There are also things like adsense and adwords but as a counterbalance there are things like ad-blocking software which can make things tough. Permies.com has created a new method of advertising that is less annoying and works well. It's called thread boost.
Along with reducing expenses, residual incomes can really help you to reduce your debt, and reinvesting.
They go on to talk about Youtube, Amazon, ebooks, newsletters, articles and so much more.
Some other small income streams include renting stuff out on craigslist, renting rooms, car advertising and even just creating tons of links and affiliate stuff online.
Credit: Craig Dobbson
Support the podcast on Patreon
Relevant ThreadsThe big list of residual income streams

David IngrahamGet all of the podcasts in convenient, giant zip files ]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:28:41390 – Review of the food cure – part 2https://richsoil.com/permaculture/80207-390-review-food-cure-part-2
Sat, 24 Feb 2018 16:24:51 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=80207<p>In part two of two, Paul and Jocelyn continue to reflect on ‘The Food Cure’ Movie. The primary theme is how diet can affect the results of a cancer diagnosis. Can food cure cancer? Paul and Joselyn exchange anecdotes and discuss their take on the film and it’s issues. Credit: Josh Pasholk Support the podcast […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>In part two of two, Paul and Jocelyn continue to reflect on ‘The Food Cure’ Movie. The primary theme is how diet can affect the results of a cancer diagnosis. Can food cure cancer? Paul and Joselyn exchange anecdotes and discuss their take on the film ...
Can food cure cancer?
Paul and Joselyn exchange anecdotes and discuss their take on the film and it’s issues.
Credit: Josh Pasholk
Support the podcast on Patreon
Relevant Threads389 - Review of the food cure - part 1

David IngrahamGet all of the podcasts in convenient, giant zip files ]]>Paul Wheatonyes55:36389 – Review of the food cure – part 1https://richsoil.com/permaculture/80204-389-review-food-cure-part-1
Thu, 22 Feb 2018 01:23:26 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=80204<p>Paul and Jocelyn review the documentary "The Food Cure", which is about 6 people who try to heal cancer through food. The people portrayed in the movie is from all stages in life and from around the world with various different types of cancer. The majority of them try a predominantly vegan dietary therapy called […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul and Jocelyn review the documentary "The Food Cure", which is about 6 people who try to heal cancer through food. The people portrayed in the movie is from all stages in life and from around the world with various different types of cancer.
Credit: Dawn Hoff
Support the podcast on Patreon
Relevant ThreadsThe Food Cure - a documentary about cancer

David IngrahamGet all of the podcasts in convenient, giant zip files ]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:03:33388 – Permaculture Smackdown on Kickstartershttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/80200-388-permaculture-smackdown-kickstarters
Tue, 20 Feb 2018 01:52:18 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=80200<p>This is the podcast for the Permaculture Smackdown with Josiah Wallingford, Cliff, Michelle and Tuesday! Cliff Ponder was in the boot program at Wheaton Labs. Michelle was there as well, she wasn’t a boot but she did lots of things. They were there for the 2017 PDC and ATC and there they met Josiah. They […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>This is the podcast for the Permaculture Smackdown with Josiah Wallingford, Cliff, Michelle and Tuesday! Cliff Ponder was in the boot program at Wheaton Labs. Michelle was there as well, she wasn’t a boot but she did lots of things.
Josiah says one of the best things about a PDC is the people you meet, and Cliff and Michelle were some of the best things about the 2017 PDC for him. The Ponders showed up in March, there was still snow. Cliff helped out with the broken well comedy. They showed up to be gappers and then Paul offered that if Cliff put in some weeks as a boot, he could take the PDC.
Paul really wants this Kickstarter to succeed. These are 3 people who have donated much time and effort to Paul’s projects.This is not just a tour with documentation, the main project is producing these courses. Each person they visit is going to teach something you may want to know. The courses will have interactivity - you will “meet” like minded people in the other folks taking the course along with you and be able to have your questions answered. There will be live events where you can directly interact with the instructor and your classmates.
Paul notes he’s put a lot of his stuff into the Kickstarter pledge levels - please go and see what they are offering!
Credit: Julia Winter and Craig Dobbson
Support the podcast on Patreon
Relevant ThreadsJosiah's thread

2018 ATC
Discussion
You can discuss this podcast on this thread at Permies.
This podcast was made possible thanks to:
Lisa Goodspeed

Keith Kuhnsman

thomas adams

Jocelyn Campbell

Julia Mason

Dominic Crolius

Josh Phillips

wade L

Suleiman ALAQEL

Ash Jackson is The Scrollbard

Jason Hower

Bill Crim

Full Name

Doug Barth

Miroslav Ultrama

James Tutor

David IngrahamGet all of the podcasts in convenient, giant zip files ]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:19:27387 – Wheaton Labs Goals – part 2https://richsoil.com/permaculture/80128-387-wheaton-labs-goals-part-2
Wed, 07 Feb 2018 01:41:41 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=80128<p>This is part two of the podcast where Paul and Jocelyn are speaking about their wish list for the property. The first thing they talk about is the chateau de Poo, which is a beautiful... outhouse. It took three months to build but looks very nice, with hand cut shingles and everything. There were some […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>This is part two of the podcast where Paul and Jocelyn are speaking about their wish list for the property. The first thing they talk about is the chateau de Poo, which is a beautiful... outhouse. It took three months to build but looks very nice,
Next up is a little discussion on the cold smoker and spring house. First Paul talks about one key missing ingredient in this space is an actual spring. He then goes on to alk about a previous property that he owned which had many springs on it. Nine of them to be exact. Since then, paul has wished to create many projects using the various aspects of a spring, including combing one with a cold smoker.
The next thing on the list is an electric gate so that folks that come and go frequently, could open and close the gate with the press of a button, as opposed to getting out of the car twice to manage the task manually.
The last thing on the list is for Paul and Jocelyn to be living out on the lab. The original idea was to spend a few years living at base camp while they built up the lab. Part of this idea was that there would be four wofatis built and that there would be folks living in them. Oh so much comedy happened. Apparently there was a lot of effort involved in log peeling that wasn't foreseen, so getting those structures built took quite a lot longer than they had hoped. Jocelyn is surprised that many folks have been critical of her and Paul living at base camp while they lived on the lab. She points out that in order to pay for folks to live up at the lab, work must be done at base camp to cover the expenses. They spend a few minutes talking about how some of the structures need some work and that they need to get more folks working together to build community as well. Jocelyn mentions that she would like to have a fenced in community garden as well. This could be used to feed people at events that are hosted at the lab.
They take the next few minutes to talk about the PDC, Peasant PDC and the ATC. They also talk about past events and the potential for new experiences at the labs including super-weeks.
Paul then goes on the go through a list of fantasies he has for the base camp. These include, six or more people living full time at base camp. There is also talk about starting a tiny house village, but that is dependent on having a good road. That has been a little tricky but now it appears that they have a very nice road up to that space and soon the village can be built. They spend a couple of minutes talking about availability of acres of land at base camp. Paul then talks about his idea for the future of the lab and base camp, where he wishes for basecamp to be a permaculture demonstration site, while the lab remains a private place for residents to experiment away from folks who may not understand or approve of what they are doing.
The electric tractor is up and running but nobody really wants to drive it. Paul explains a little bit about what could be better about the tractor, including the fact that it needs to be weatherproofed and perhaps the batteries need to be reoriented.
Paul would like more portable cabins on the land because many people really like the love shack. Skiddable structures are a great benefit as would having year round residents to occupy them. During events, bunk space is limited so more places for people to sleep would be a big help.
The fisher price house needs to have some work done to make the outer spaces better align with the house layout. The garage was divided into two places, one side for parking and the other for a canning operation, with insulation and heating and AC. This section is now called the library. It has desks and a growing collection of books.]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:30:14386 – Wheaton Labs Goals – part 1https://richsoil.com/permaculture/80126-386-wheaton-labs-goals-part-1
Mon, 05 Feb 2018 03:23:56 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=80126<p>In this podcast, Paul and Jocelyn go over their long term goals and fantasies about what can happen at Wheaton Laboratories https://permies.com/f/102/labs (The Lab and Basecamp) over the next several years. Paul has made a list. Jocelyn would like to see new things being created, not just repairing and maintaining what’s already there. Paul wants […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>In this podcast, Paul and Jocelyn go over their long term goals and fantasies about what can happen at Wheaton Laboratories https://permies.com/f/102/labs (The Lab and Basecamp) over the next several years. Paul has made a list.
Paul and Jocelyn both work full time to try to support the projects, they’re definitely not getting rich here. Paul would love to have someone on site who could manage and rent out all of the various structures, but they have yet to find someone who could do this successfully. Paul can no longer be “the expert” for everything - he feels he gave that up when he bought the property.
Paul’s dream is to live in a community where everyone has their own expertise: one person is an expert with bees, and another is expert with cattle, and another is a great gardener, etc. Paul got into permaculture via gardening, but these days he doesn’t have time to garden.
Jocelyn explains (for those of you who don’t know) that Wheaton Labs is two pieces of land. The Lab was purchased as off-grid, totally raw former timber land. Basecamp is about two miles away from the Lab and it had a manufactured home, a garage and a big shop building. In the past 4+ years, many things have been built, on both properties.
Paul’s thinking that creating a permaculture community might cost $20 million. They are trying to develop this on a shoestring. There’s a paradox: you need cool things to draw in the people, but you need people to create the things. The bootcamp program is working great - the boots are being directed towards getting a lot of things done that need to be done. The boots are learning a lot, building in roundwood timber framing, cob, straw bale, all sorts of things.
Lab Goals:
ATI - Annualized Thermal Inertia test for Allerton Abbey. Allerton Abbey was suffering some structural issues, so logs were replaced, other logs were shored up. 2 engineers checked it out (they were visiting) and they feel like the building is now quite stable and safe - “belt and suspenders safe.. Apparently some pieces were removed a while back, and those pieces were actually structural.
They tried to test the ATI in a previous winter, but it became obvious that the uphill and downhill walls were super leaky and the winter wind blew right through. The “Peasant PDC” (May 22 - June 21) will be focused on turning Allerton Abbey into a permaculture paradise. It already has a lovely straw bale wall to replace one of the leaky walls. A junk pole fence will be built around it, hugelkultur beds will be built inside the fence for gardens, much cob and art will be made.
Then, hopefully next winter they can do a test of the ATI with Allerton Abbey.
Cooper Cabin is bigger than Allerton Abbey but it does not yet have the full earthen cover needed to test ATI there.
After the Peasant PDC will be a more traditional two week PDC (June 24-July 7), but one that is aimed at folks who are starting out at a higher level. A certain amount of knowledge will be presumed. There will be microscopes. It will still be more homestead focused than urban or large farm (2 to 200 acres). (After that is the ATC: July 9 - 20.)
Freezer Wofati: Paul would like to build a wofati on a north slope, no windows, buried a little deeper than a wofati to live in, and multiple other tricks employed to try to direct cold air and capture the coldest air with a goal of having a space that stays below freezing year round, without electricity.
Lemon Tree: they have already built the earthworks for the lemon tree test, but there’s no lemon tree yet. Paul has looked at the site when it’s snowy, and it seems to be working, there’s no snow where the tree should grow. What is needed for this test is a person to live right nearby and manag...]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:21:23385 – Uncle Mud – part 3https://richsoil.com/permaculture/80120-385-uncle-mud-part-3
Sat, 27 Jan 2018 14:52:35 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=80120<p>Paul continues his conversation with Chris McClellan aka Uncle Mud about Rocket Mass heaters. They start this podcast talking about the Minnie Mouse, who now lives in the Love Shack. She’s a rocket mass heater contained inside a barrel, inside a wooden structure. Peter cleverly lined the back of the barrel very tightly with bricks, […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul continues his conversation with Chris McClellan aka Uncle Mud about Rocket Mass heaters. They start this podcast talking about the Minnie Mouse, who now lives in the Love Shack. She’s a rocket mass heater contained inside a barrel,
Minnie Mouse throws off a lot of heat quickly, but she also holds onto some heat, making her sort of a hybrid stove. She has a metal core - a metal wood feed and a metal burn tunnel. The heat riser is not metal. The reason this works is that the wood feed and burn tunnel are both air cooled. Steel will spall at 1600 degrees F and melts at 2600. You need to keep steel around 1400 degrees. This is done by having a smaller system - a 4 inch J tube system (4 inch batchbox would probably get too hot). The heat riser is vermiculite and can take a bit more heat. Paul thinks that if it was a 6 inch system, you couldn’t have a metal core.
Mud notes that “mild steel” will become challenged at 906 degrees F. You can use metal for a rocket cooker, but that's because it never runs for very long. Peter uses metal to test various designs, because he’s just seeing how things work, he’s not going to put it into someone’s house. Metal cores tend to fail.
Mud says that although you can “hook” people into RMH with the economy of heating with less wood, and cheaper wood, the real value is in the increased safety. Paul agrees “Hey, you wanna save some money?” is the calling card of the RMH. Heat your home with 1/10th the wood *and* you don’t burn down your house with a chimney fire.
The Liberator is UL listed, so that should make your insurance company happy. It is a fully steel system that uses fins to dissipate heat. It’s a 4” system, another reason it works. (It’s not as efficient as ceramic cored rocket mass heaters for this reason.) Paul is still hoping someone will develop a non-metal shippable core. When he’s seen rocket mass heaters made with metal cores, they don’t seem to last. If something was made of ceramic, then you can have a 6” or 8” system. You can’t do a larger system in metal, it will get too hot and then it will fail. Paul has seen many people build 6 or 8 inch systems in metal, and they work grea... until they fail.
Rocket mass heaters with basic firebrick cores do great - they heat a home for years, no problem. We need more videos of the good builds, to compete with all the flaming freak shows of death that you can find on YouTube.
Moving on to the tipi. The rocket mass heater there was no longer working well. Ernie went up there to check it out. He thinks the core had some silt (instead of clay) and over time, this led to breakdown and holes in the core. Where the burn tunnel met the riser, there were holes leaking into the manifold, thus bypassing the heat riser. Ernie opened it up and rebuilt it with insulated firebrick and now it works great again.
The double shoe box is a batch box system that doesn’t have a heat riser. Instead, it has another box above the batch box, with a slot in the top of the bottom box. The fire goes up through the slot and does the cool ramshorn thing in the upper chamber to mix the gases and get the secondary combustion. They’ve built one up at Allerton Abbey. It’s got a glass cooktop, so you can see the curlicue flame path (and cook on it as well).
Having two chambers solves a problem that batch box heaters often had. People would overfill the batch box and it would interfere with fire leaving via the back wall. Then the fire wouldn’t burn cleanly. Now, the flame leaves via a slot in the top, so it’s much harder to block.]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:09:00384 – Uncle Mud – part 2https://richsoil.com/permaculture/80113-384-uncle-mud-part-2
Thu, 18 Jan 2018 01:11:06 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=80113<p>Paul continues his conversation with Chris McClellan aka Uncle Mud about Rocket Mass heaters. He talks about the cottage style RMH. Paul describes a J-tube type system with a vertical feed system. Heat hits the barrel and then goes down the sides of the barrel. It acts like a standard 6" J-tube system. There are […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul continues his conversation with Chris McClellan aka Uncle Mud about Rocket Mass heaters. He talks about the cottage style RMH. Paul describes a J-tube type system with a vertical feed system. Heat hits the barrel and then goes down the sides of th...
Next they do a comparison of the cyclone design and the cottage design. Paul likes the cottage style and sees it as a possible shippable core. UPS will ship the barrel as long as it does not weigh too much. This is an advantage compared to heavier designs.

Cyclone is a 4" system with a matchbox. This would use kindling. The interior is only 4x4". It is a tiny tiny wood feed. This will require burning it for a while before it heats up. This system was nicknamed mini mouse and took less than 20 minutes to heat up. It also does not have a large amount of mass. The need for mass is important in the cabin because of gaps in the floorboards. The cyclone has a casserole door. It sits at a 70 degree angle. The lid sits on the angled side and this allows for a larger wood feed. This allows you to load up the wood feed with about 4 times the typical wood feed. The temperatures for the cyclone run at about 1800 degrees. The size is about the size of a 55 gallon drum. It is narrower from side to side but deeper. It is also a little taller. It has a nice arched top and a cathedral roof of sorts. The riser goes up into the chamber to hold all the gases. The 4" stove pipe takes the gases out the exhaust. There is some sand and clay acting as mortar. All the masonry gets heated up. The heat only gets to the room after the bricks are heated up and this can take a few hours. If the red cabin were better insulated it might only take 40 minutes. Once the bricks are at 160 the heat continues to pump heat out. RMH's are designed to provide consistent heat through the night. The cyclone may heat things up even after the fire goes out. The cottage style takes about 8 hours to build nicely, but could be done quicker if aesthetics are not important. The cottage took about 2.5 days including the chimney install. The cyclone heater took more like 6 days and there was a lot of masonry done and it is a slower build. The cyclone has a lot more mass than the cottage. Each style has different missions the cottage RMH is good for heating a workshop versus the cyclone which is good for heating a cabin.
A discussion follows about using the clear casserole lids for doors and some problems of them breaking. Paul talks about different kinds of glass that could be used with better results...]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:04:04383 – Uncle Mud – part 1https://richsoil.com/permaculture/80107-383-uncle-mud-part-1
Fri, 12 Jan 2018 02:11:57 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=80107<p>Paul talks to Chris McClellan aka Uncle Mud about Rocket Mass heaters. Chris was one of the innovators at the Innovators Event and will also run the appropriate technology course Jul. 9th - Jul. 20th (tickets available on website from Jan. 1st). They talk about the Cottage Rocket, The Butt warmer, The Ring of Fire […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul talks to Chris McClellan aka Uncle Mud about Rocket Mass heaters. Chris was one of the innovators at the Innovators Event and will also run the appropriate technology course Jul. 9th - Jul. 20th (tickets available on website from Jan. 1st).
Credit: Dawn Hoff
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Relevant Threads2018 Permaculture Design Course (PDC) for Homesteaders

David IngrahamGet all of the podcasts in convenient, giant zip files ]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:07:42382 – Heating with less wood – part 2https://richsoil.com/permaculture/80103-382-heating-with-less-wood-part-2
Thu, 28 Dec 2017 22:03:27 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=80103<p>In this episode Paul and Jocelyn continue their talk about how they heated their house with 0.6 cord of wood. They talk about the things that contributed to them using more wood than would have otherwise been necessary: e.g. no curtains on the windows and the windows not being able to close properly because of […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>In this episode Paul and Jocelyn continue their talk about how they heated their house with 0.6 cord of wood. They talk about the things that contributed to them using more wood than would have otherwise been necessary: e.g.
They discuss why rocket mass heaters are not more known in the world and why people who have no experience with RMHs are so quick to dismiss their efficiency.
They refer to the YouTube series about common misconceptions about RMHs:

Michelle MartinGet all of the podcasts in convenient, giant zip files ]]>Paul Wheatonyes55:07381 – Heating with less wood – part 1https://richsoil.com/permaculture/80099-381-heating-with-less-wood-part-1
Tue, 26 Dec 2017 15:58:56 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=80099<p>In this podcast, Paul and Jocelyn talk about how they heated their home with only 0.6 cords of wood. They take the rocket mass heater in the Fisher Price house as a case study. It is December in Montana and they only get about 6 hrs of sunlight at this time of year. Cloudy days […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>In this podcast, Paul and Jocelyn talk about how they heated their home with only 0.6 cords of wood. They take the rocket mass heater in the Fisher Price house as a case study. It is December in Montana and they only get about 6 hrs of sunlight at this...
It is December in Montana and they only get about 6 hrs of sunlight at this time of year. Cloudy days seem to make the days feel even shorter. Montana days are cold and crisp unlike those in Seattle. The RMH used about 1/2 cord of wood and lots of people called Paul a liar. A cord is 4x4x8 so half a cord is 4x4x4. The fisher price house uses a pea gravel style RMH. Paul created a log to track indoor and outdoor temperature and the wood used for the season. 0.60 cords were used in 2016/2017. One person on the forums told Paul that they need to weigh the wood but Paul feels that weighing the wood is kind of silly. Most people measure a cord of wood by volume and not by weight. Paul likes the idea of measuring the wood use by volume and is not all that concerned with btu’s. What really matters to Paul is the use of the wood and how much is used. One interest is hardwood versus softwood and most wood around the farm is soft. There are currently 12 RMHs on the farm and a bunch of others in various states of completion. Paul does buy wood at times depending on priorities. Firewood is something that is gathered when time allows and sometimes it can take a long time. The last winter would have needed about 6 cords with a conventional wood stove. The house is about 1400 sq ft. It is a double wide and because it is not on a foundation it can be pretty cold. The RMH in the Fisher Price house is on the 4 dvd set. It has a stainless steel barrel. Pebble style is working very well. Not as good as cob but pretty good. Pebble is way more portable than cob. This RMH was built in October of 2013 and then modified in January of 2015. The modification worked well but the pebbles were added over the summer and now it is working great. The wood is stored in bookshelves/cubby holes near the stove. Jocelyn does not like building RMHs but she does like using them. Jocelyn likes the radiant heat. When it is cold at the house and the RMH is not run the forced hot air heater kicks on every 15 minutes and it sounds like a jet engine. The RMH is silent in comparison. The wood used is more sustainable as well. Other people in the valley create lots more smoke with their conventional stoves. The exhaust temperature is close to room temperature and is very clean burning. Starting the RMH sometimes creates a small amount of smoke if you use Ernie’s method. Paul and Jocelyn try to create a smokeless fire when they start by pushing the starter paper down into the feed tube before trying to light it. There is a discussion of paper towels and paper napkins that were recycled and how they are not good in compost. Paul’s preferred method is to use a propane torch to start his fires. The arc lighter is also a good tool to use to start the fire. Jocelyn prefers refillable butane lighters. A discussion of where the RMH is placed in the home begins and Paul does not like having the mass in the middle of the room. People tend to put laptops up on the mass and that’s not so good. Last winter had lots of days below zero and snow on the ground from November to March. The temp inside was kept around 69. The thermostat was set up in the dining room next to the kitchen. Paul wanted the thermostat to be influenced only by conventional heat. The floor had to be reinforced to hold the weight and this is covered in the dvd set. The RMH is not quite done yet. There is some granite still missing but they are working to get the last pieces of granite ordered and installed. As winter progressed they got more efficient at using the RMH. In the summer the mass acted as a heat sink. On days of feast people cooking would help heat the house so they did not need to use the RMH. Several windows in the house were frozen open which contributed to heat escaping the house.]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:01:42380 – Dealing with community drama – part 4https://richsoil.com/permaculture/80096-380-dealing-with-community-drama-part-4
Sun, 24 Dec 2017 18:22:25 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=80096<p>Paul and Jocelyn continue to address some intentional community 3.0 issues. They start off by addressing the claim that they were locking a “historically” public road, which was proven by local authorities not to be public. They talk about the issues with Allerton Abbey, which were fixed in the summer. They talk about the bounty […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul and Jocelyn continue to address some intentional community 3.0 issues. They start off by addressing the claim that they were locking a “historically” public road, which was proven by local authorities not to be public.
Support the podcast on Patreon
Relevant Threads379 - Dealing with community drama - part 3

ant village
Discussion
You can discuss this podcast on this thread at Permies.
This podcast was made possible thanks to:
Keith Kuhnsman

thomas adams

Jocelyn Campbell

Julia Mason

Dominic Crolius

Josh Phillips

wade L

Suleiman ALAQEL

Ash Jackson is The Scrollbard

Jason Hower

Bill Crim

Full Name

Doug Barth

James Tutor

David IngrahamGet all of the podcasts in convenient, giant zip files ]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:19:56379 – Dealing with community drama – part 3https://richsoil.com/permaculture/80091-379-dealing-with-community-drama-part-3
Fri, 22 Dec 2017 03:33:37 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=80091<p>Paul and Jocelyn continue to address some intentional community 3.0 issues. They start off with the last 2 concerns the Ants formulated: written rental agreement and not being allowed to commute to a job. They then move on to addressing criticism from 47: the local currency (fysh) being obscure, poop management, the lock at the […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul and Jocelyn continue to address some intentional community 3.0 issues. They start off with the last 2 concerns the Ants formulated: written rental agreement and not being allowed to commute to a job. They then move on to addressing criticism from ...
Support the podcast on Patreon
Relevant Threads378 - Dealing with community drama - part 2

ant village
Discussion
You can discuss this podcast on this thread at Permies.
This podcast was made possible thanks to:
Julia Mason

Josh Phillips

wade L

Suleiman ALAQEL

Jason Hower

Bill Crim

Chris Holly

Doug Barth

James Tutor

The Rayhawk Clan

Mark Allen

Kelton Mitchell

David IngrahamGet all of the podcasts in convenient, giant zip files ]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:36:37378 – Dealing with community drama – part 2https://richsoil.com/permaculture/80086-378-dealing-with-community-drama-part-2
Tue, 19 Dec 2017 03:05:46 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=80086<p>Paul and Jocelyn continue to address some intentional community 3.0 issues. They start with a discussion on how Paul can come across as an asshole. They then move on to discussing the criticism raised by a former ant who qualified the issues as "a modern feudal slumlord clashes with his peasants." Paul admits that he […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul and Jocelyn continue to address some intentional community 3.0 issues. They start with a discussion on how Paul can come across as an asshole. They then move on to discussing the criticism raised by a former ant who qualified the issues as "a mode...
Support the podcast on Patreon
Relevant Threads377 - Dealing with community drama - part 1

ant village
Discussion
You can discuss this podcast on this thread at Permies.
This podcast was made possible thanks to:
Julia Mason

Josh Phillips

wade L

Suleiman ALAQEL

Jason Hower

Bill Crim

Chris Holly

Doug Barth

James Tutor

The Rayhawk Clan

Mark Allen

Kelton Mitchell

David IngrahamGet all of the podcasts in convenient, giant zip files ]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:06:58377 – Dealing with community drama – part 1https://richsoil.com/permaculture/80082-377-dealing-with-community-drama-part-1
Sat, 16 Dec 2017 15:22:26 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=80082<p>Paul and Jocelyn address some intentional community 3.0 issues. Paul agrees with Bill Mollison that in permaculture, we need to replace petroleum with people. Paul's goal is to find a model that will work on other farms. Paul and Jocelyn give some context of the Wheaton labs community and they talk about why they think […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul and Jocelyn address some intentional community 3.0 issues. Paul agrees with Bill Mollison that in permaculture, we need to replace petroleum with people. Paul's goal is to find a model that will work on other farms.
Support the podcast on Patreon
Relevant Threadsintentional community forum

ant village
Discussion
You can discuss this podcast on this thread at Permies.
This podcast was made possible thanks to:
thomas adams

Jocelyn Campbell

Julia Mason

Dominic Crolius

Josh Phillips

wade L

سليمان العقل

Ash Jackson is The Scrollbard

Jason Hower

Bill Crim

Full Name

Doug Barth

James Tutor

David IngrahamGet all of the podcasts in convenient, giant zip files ]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:12:52376 – How to do a kickstarter – part 3https://richsoil.com/permaculture/80076-376-how-to-do-a-kickstarter-part-3
Thu, 18 May 2017 01:57:08 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=80076<p>Paul, Erica and Julianne continue their discussion about what it takes to make a successful Kickstarter. They talk about how to select the rewards, what a good description is, collaboration, affiliate links, and the problem of early bird pricing. Paul emphasizes the importance of a $1 reward to get more supporters. Paul and Erica talk […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul, Erica and Julianne continue their discussion about what it takes to make a successful Kickstarter. They talk about how to select the rewards, what a good description is, collaboration, affiliate links, and the problem of early bird pricing.
Support the podcast on Patreon
Relevant Threads

David IngrahamGet all of the podcasts in convenient, giant zip files ]]>Paul Wheatonyes375 – How to do a kickstarter – part 2https://richsoil.com/permaculture/80073-375-how-to-do-a-kickstarter-part-2
Wed, 17 May 2017 01:06:18 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=80073<p>Paul, Erica and Julianne continue their discussion about what it takes to make a successful Kickstarter. They talk about the importance of good prep ahead of time, how to set the budget and the goal. Paul also mentions involving the community and the importance of a good short intro video. Support the podcast on Patreon […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul, Erica and Julianne continue their discussion about what it takes to make a successful Kickstarter. They talk about the importance of good prep ahead of time, how to set the budget and the goal. Paul also mentions involving the community and the i...
Support the podcast on Patreon
Relevant ThreadsDirtpatcheaven thread at permies

David IngrahamGet all of the podcasts in convenient, giant zip files ]]>Paul Wheatonyes374 – How to do a kickstarter – part 1https://richsoil.com/permaculture/80069-374-how-to-do-a-kickstarter-part-1
Tue, 16 May 2017 02:26:38 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=80069<p>Paul, Erica and Julianne talk about what it takes to make a successful Kickstarter. The conversation is based on Paul and Erica's experience with running Kickstarter campaigns that got more than fully funded. Support the podcast on Patreon Relevant Threads Dirtpatcheaven thread at permies Dirtpatcheaven Youtube channel Julianne's podcast with Paul about residual income streams […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul, Erica and Julianne talk about what it takes to make a successful Kickstarter. The conversation is based on Paul and Erica's experience with running Kickstarter campaigns that got more than fully funded.
Support the podcast on Patreon
Relevant ThreadsDirtpatcheaven thread at permies

David IngrahamGet all of the podcasts in convenient, giant zip files ]]>Paul Wheatonyes373 – Epic Shithttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/80064-373-epic-shit
Tue, 25 Apr 2017 14:28:35 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=80064<p>Fred and Paul discuss Paul's article "Struggles, Hurdles, Challenges and Observations" about how you can choose whether you want to produce "Epic Shit" or want to live a little grey life. If you choose to work hard and learn things that other people don't know how to do - you can produce "Epic Shit". If […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Fred and Paul discuss Paul's article "Struggles, Hurdles, Challenges and Observations" about how you can choose whether you want to produce "Epic Shit" or want to live a little grey life. If you choose to work hard and learn things that other people do...
Credit: Dawn Hoff
Support the podcast on Patreon
Relevant ThreadsBasecamp well comedy

David IngrahamGet all of the podcasts in convenient, giant zip files ]]>Paul Wheatonyes372 – Wellhttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/80058-372-well
Tue, 18 Apr 2017 02:22:40 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=80058<p>Today's podcast is about rural wells and fixing things yourself. It's Paul talking to Fred about the prolonged adventure of repairing the well down at basecamp when it stopped functioning a few weeks ago. They were without water for 15 days, but they did get the job done! It just took... a whole lot longer […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Today's podcast is about rural wells and fixing things yourself. It's Paul talking to Fred about the prolonged adventure of repairing the well down at basecamp when it stopped functioning a few weeks ago. They were without water for 15 days,
Suffice to say there were multiple surprises and the well at basecamp for Wheaton Labs is a very special well.
Credit: Julia Winter
Support the podcast on Patreon
Relevant ThreadsBasecamp well comedy

David IngrahamGet all of the podcasts in convenient, giant zip files ]]>Paul Wheatonyes371 – Review of Just Enough – Part 7https://richsoil.com/permaculture/80055-371-review-of-just-enough-part-7
Sun, 16 Apr 2017 02:29:12 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=80055<p>Paul had Abe Coley and Rory Page with him to review Just Enough: Lesson on Living Green from Traditional Japan by Azby Brown. They discuss City Living. They talk about the vast air temperature difference between this city and modern day cities being a result of using dirt roads/walkways as well as their focus on […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul had Abe Coley and Rory Page with him to review Just Enough: Lesson on Living Green from Traditional Japan by Azby Brown. They discuss City Living. They talk about the vast air temperature difference between this city and modern day cities being a ...
They discuss City Living.
They talk about the vast air temperature difference between this city and modern day cities being a result of using dirt roads/walkways as well as their focus on airflow by intentional tree planting.
The discussion continues to their communal living that includes water, bath houses, composting & security. There’s detailed commentary about their “remarkably simple” water system, which has been in effect for 200 years. It’s a combination of wooden aqueducts & stone pipes that carry water from the high mountains, through the farm lands & into the town proper.
Paul further discusses their “purely natural system” of repair, reuse, recycle > fuel.
Credit: Marianne Cooper
Support the podcast on Patreon
Relevant ThreadsJust Enough By Azby Brown

David IngrahamGet all of the podcasts in convenient, giant zip files ]]>Paul Wheatonyes370 – Botany in a Day Review – Part 6https://richsoil.com/permaculture/80051-370-botany-in-a-day-review-part-6
Wed, 12 Apr 2017 19:40:50 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=80051<p>Paul had Neil Bertrando from Reno, Nevada with him in this podcast to review Botany in a Day, by Thomas J. Elpel. Exploring the Mallow sub-class, Paul discovered that it includes Huckleberries, Blueberries, the Mustard family, the Squash family, and the Poop Beasts (Poplars, Cottonwoods and Willows). St John's Wort family. St John's Wort is […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul had Neil Bertrando from Reno, Nevada with him in this podcast to review Botany in a Day, by Thomas J. Elpel. Exploring the Mallow sub-class, Paul discovered that it includes Huckleberries, Blueberries, the Mustard family, the Squash family,
Exploring the Mallow sub-class, Paul discovered that it includes Huckleberries, Blueberries, the Mustard family, the Squash family, and the Poop Beasts (Poplars, Cottonwoods and Willows).
St John's Wort family. St John's Wort is used as an anti-depressant. It grows prolifically in the wild in Montana. Paul has used it as mulch. Neil suggests selecting the correct variety, harvesting it in the wild, before it's sprayed with herbicide, and then selling it. Thus obviating the use of herbicide, saving that energy and making some money.
The next family is the Basswood family. Included is the Linden tree (also known as Lime) and is edible, including providing cordage.
Now the Mallow family. This includes cotton, okra and marshmallow. Paul reads a recipe for making marshmallows. Members of this family contain natural gum and are, therefore, mucilaginous. They are also rich in calcium and iron. Neil grows Edible Hibiscus and appreciates the tastes found in the leaves, which are like spinach and stinging nettle. Helpful in thickening stews. In addition, Neil said, they are mildly astringent, soothing irritation. They are also low maintenance. Many have lovely flowers, as well. Neil is fond of eating Hollyhock flowers. That helps to limit the number of seeds they produce. Neil pointed out that as they have so many uses: pretty, attract insects, have medical uses and are edible, this is good family to choose from.
The Sundew family includes the Venus Flytrap. They eat insects because they live in nitrogen and phosphorus deficient places, thus getting what they need from insects. Not very common.
Then Paul and Neil went on to the Violet family. Edible and pretty. However, the African violet is not a member of this family.
Now it's the Loasa family. This includes the rock Nettle. Not many uses recorded.
Then we come onto the Gourd family. Included in Cucurbits are Pumpkins, Squash, Zucchini, Cucumbers, Watermelon, the Buffalo Gourd, and the Luffa vegetable sponge. Choko, a climbing squash, belongs to this group but must be frost free. Pumpkin seeds contain alkaloids, useful for arresting certain types of cancer. Saponin is in the roots so they can provide soap and fish poison.
Credit: Susan McGuinness
Support the podcast on Patreon
Relevant ThreadsBotany in a Day by Thomas J. Elpel

David IngrahamGet all of the podcasts in convenient, giant zip files ]]>Paul Wheatonyes369 – Review of Just Enough – Part 6https://richsoil.com/permaculture/80049-369-review-of-just-enough-part-6
Sat, 08 Apr 2017 02:32:47 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=80049<p>In this podcast Paul continues the discussion of Just Enough with Abe Coley and Rory Paige. This section took a left turn from the rest of the book, the narrative and illustrations ended and was replaced by a list of rules and things you should do. The discussion starts out with doing good things instead […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>In this podcast Paul continues the discussion of Just Enough with Abe Coley and Rory Paige. This section took a left turn from the rest of the book, the narrative and illustrations ended and was replaced by a list of rules and things you should do.
This section took a left turn from the rest of the book, the narrative and illustrations ended and was replaced by a list of rules and things you should do.
The discussion starts out with doing good things instead of yelling at bad people, using fracking and an example. Paul believes that most, if not all, of the worlds ills can be cured by permaculture.
They then discuss edge, permaculture in Japan, Fukuoka, comfort, polyculture, dirt floors, zero waste, thatch, and how to save energy in the summer with a green curtain, among other things. Paul tell talks about how this book is giving him many ideas for his land, including the husp portion.
Credit: Cassie Rauk
Support the podcast on Patreon
Relevant ThreadsJust Enough By Azby Brown

David IngrahamGet all of the podcasts in convenient, giant zip files ]]>Paul Wheatonyes368 – Rich Dad, Poor Dadhttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/80045-368-rich-dad-poor-dad
Sun, 05 Mar 2017 15:36:53 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=80045<p>Paul and Jocelyn relate a story from the book Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki. It is about innovation to generate income. Paul mentions that his experience has been that any time he wants to generate more income, he has to innovate. Support the podcast on Patreon Relevant Threads Rich Dad Poor Dad by […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul and Jocelyn relate a story from the book Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki. It is about innovation to generate income. Paul mentions that his experience has been that any time he wants to generate more income, he has to innovate.
Support the podcast on Patreon
Relevant ThreadsRich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki

David IngrahamGet all of the podcasts in convenient, giant zip files ]]>Paul Wheatonyes367 – Botany in a Day Review – Part 5https://richsoil.com/permaculture/80043-367-botany-in-a-day-review-part-5
Thu, 02 Mar 2017 02:30:22 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=80043<p>Paul had Neil Bertrando from Reno, Nevada with him in this podcast to review Botany in a Day, by Thomas J. Elpel. The podcast opened with Paul bragging about having huckleberry pie for breakfast. Paul said reading the book is helping his getting the 'order of orders' clear. Neil came up with a mnemonic: King […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul had Neil Bertrando from Reno, Nevada with him in this podcast to review Botany in a Day, by Thomas J. Elpel. The podcast opened with Paul bragging about having huckleberry pie for breakfast. Paul said reading the book is helping his getting the 'o...
The podcast opened with Paul bragging about having huckleberry pie for breakfast. Paul said reading the book is helping his getting the 'order of orders' clear. Neil came up with a mnemonic: King David can only find good salami. This corresponds to kingdom, division, class, order, family, genius, species.
They went on to talk about various members of the pink sub-class + some other plants they felt were relevant to this discussion.
Neil brought up the point that there are functional differences at each level of orders, especially at the family level, and that this is important for permaculturists. This book seems to be organized by family. Neil pointed out that this book is written for North America and that tropical plants are not included. Neil explained that Pink refers to a family of plants with a particular flower shape and other interesting details. They went on to talk about properties of cactus, some of which are quite unusual. Paul had gone to a presentation by a Blackfeet woman who is a plant expert. Both Paul and Neil were struck by the difference in approach between native American perspectives and that of European immigrants toward plants.
Saponin is contained in many species of the Pink family. Not just soap, also a fish stunner.
Chickweed, great wild edible, came up and led them to discuss palatability in wild plants. Neil mentioned Breeding Your Own Plant Varieties, by Carol Deppe. The implications of what one might learn from her book are really worth giving some consideration.
Mullein (non-native yet appreciated by native Americans) came up and Neil and Paul brought up the contradiction of using herbicides to control non-native plants. We have all been immigrants at some point in our family's history. Neil was eloquent and pithy on this subject. Toby Hemenway is cited bringing up the question of 'what do you eat?' if the arbitrary designation of 'non-native' is clung to. The concept of 'invasive plants' is also discussed.
They went on to the Purslane family, which have many great properties. Oxalic acid is contained in a lot of this group, which is worth studying.
Bitterroot was discussed. This led the discussion to considering both sustenance and commercial systems in relation to the usefulness of plants. Identification of plants would be easier if the pictures of plants in many plant books were of the plants at harvest time. We need to know more about beneficial functionality of the landscape, socially as well as botanically.
Miner's Lettuce was discussed. Paul discovered that the term succulent is more inclusive than he thought. Throughout this podcast Neil's unfailing positivity was a useful conjunct with Paul's playing the Devil's Advocate.
They went on to the Goosefoot family. Spinach and sugar beets were discussed. Have sugar beets had genetic modification? Check that out. In principle, sugar beets are a great fodder plant. Then on to mangles. Many species of this family accumulate salt and so desalinisation was discussed. Neil brought up that both the Brassicas and the Chenopods do not have mycorrhizal associations and that that'll take some thinking. Lamb's Quarter's accumulate calcium and are good under fruit trees.
Then they went on to the Amaranth family, which are closely related to the Goosefoot family and share many properties. Pigweed came up. Amaranth is a great grain. The accumulation of nitrates in the body of the plants was discussed.
Next was the Buckwheat family. Rhubarb is in this family but different genera. Dock and sorrel are in this group. They went on to discuss corralled animals that are constrained in what food is available will eat whatever's there. As dosage sometimes makes the difference between nutrition and poison, this is an important note for consideration.]]>Paul Wheatonyes366 – Review of Just Enough – Part 5https://richsoil.com/permaculture/80038-366-review-of-just-enough-part-5
Tue, 28 Feb 2017 02:20:18 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=80038<p>Paul had Abe Coley and Rory Page with him to review Just Enough: Lesson on Living Green from Traditional Japan by Azby Brown. In this part they discussed big government versus local community, Paul’s take on shogun culture, rice as taxes, peasant revolts, village size, farm manuals, schooling, the plethora of pictures, details of rice […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul had Abe Coley and Rory Page with him to review Just Enough: Lesson on Living Green from Traditional Japan by Azby Brown. In this part they discussed big government versus local community, Paul’s take on shogun culture, rice as taxes,
In this part they discussed big government versus local community, Paul’s take on shogun culture, rice as taxes, peasant revolts, village size, farm manuals, schooling, the plethora of pictures, details of rice cultivation and harvest. The value of swallows, rice fermentation, processing and uses.
The rest of the discussion of this part was about roof thatching. It included: thatching materials used, treatment, laying, fixing, trimming, and ridge styles. At the end of this section they talked about an extensive table of building materials. Abe was struck by the absence of stone.
Credit: Susan McGuinness
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Relevant ThreadsJust Enough By Azby Brown

David IngrahamGet all of the podcasts in convenient, giant zip files ]]>Paul Wheatonyes365 – Gaia’s Garden Chapter 11 – Part 1https://richsoil.com/permaculture/80032-365-gaias-garden-chapter-11-part-1
Tue, 14 Feb 2017 03:24:10 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=80032<p>Paul and Jocelyn review Toby Hemmenway's "Gaia's Garden" chapter 11 about urban gardens. They start out by commemorating Toby's contribution to Permaculture in general and as a friend specifically since Toby passed away recently. They then go on to describe the urban garden, and how you can use your neighbour's gardens as a resource and […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul and Jocelyn review Toby Hemmenway's "Gaia's Garden" chapter 11 about urban gardens. They start out by commemorating Toby's contribution to Permaculture in general and as a friend specifically since Toby passed away recently.
Credit: Dawn Hoff
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Relevant ThreadsGaia's Garden by Toby Hemenway

David IngrahamGet all of the podcasts in convenient, giant zip files ]]>Paul Wheatonyes364 – Botany in a Day Review – Part 4https://richsoil.com/permaculture/80030-364-botany-in-a-day-review-part-4
Sun, 12 Feb 2017 01:04:55 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=80030<p>In this podcast, Paul and Neil Bertando continue on their review of Botany in a Day by Thomas Elpel. This time, they focus on the Magnolia and Witch Hazel Subclass. Since the guys are more interested in the edible and botanical plants and not the ornamental they move over the Magnolia class quickly. Neil and […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>In this podcast, Paul and Neil Bertando continue on their review of Botany in a Day by Thomas Elpel. This time, they focus on the Magnolia and Witch Hazel Subclass. Since the guys are more interested in the edible and botanical plants and not the ornam...
This time, they focus on the Magnolia and Witch Hazel Subclass. Since the guys are more interested in the edible and botanical plants and not the ornamental they move over the Magnolia class quickly.
Neil and Paul discuss elms, mulberrys (which is a particular favorite of Neil’s), hemp, stinging nettles, and the uses of each in a permaculture and homestead situation. They talk at length about how great hops are and the amazingness of nettles and walnuts.
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Relevant ThreadsBotany in a Day by Thomas J. Elpel

David IngrahamGet all of the podcasts in convenient, giant zip files ]]>Paul Wheatonyes363 – Review of Just Enough – Part 4https://richsoil.com/permaculture/79980-363-review-of-just-enough-part-4
Wed, 08 Feb 2017 01:53:22 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=79980<p>Paul had Abe Coley and Rory Page with him to review Just Enough: Lesson on Living Green from Traditional Japan by Azby Brown. First they talked about how much they enjoyed the book. This section is all about trees. Topics included: who has forest access, co-relation to permaculture, environmental disaster and recovery, regulation, elite woodsmen, […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul had Abe Coley and Rory Page with him to review Just Enough: Lesson on Living Green from Traditional Japan by Azby Brown. First they talked about how much they enjoyed the book. This section is all about trees.
First they talked about how much they enjoyed the book. This section is all about trees. Topics included: who has forest access, co-relation to permaculture, environmental disaster and recovery, regulation, elite woodsmen, root cuttings, clear cutting, forest monoculture and harvest time.
Credit: Susan McGuinness
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Relevant ThreadsJust Enough By Azby Brown

David IngrahamGet all of the podcasts in convenient, giant zip files ]]>Paul Wheatonyes362 – Botany in a Day Review – Part 3https://richsoil.com/permaculture/79977-362-botany-in-a-day-review-part-3
Fri, 03 Feb 2017 01:39:51 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=79977<p>Paul and Neil continue their review of Botany in a Day by Thomas Elpel with the conifers. They start out talking about all sorts of conifers including: Firs with their flat needles, the Pines, the edible nut pines, , spruces, cedars, the Douglas fir, yews, bald cypress, tamarack and larches. They discuss the uses these […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul and Neil continue their review of Botany in a Day by Thomas Elpel with the conifers. They start out talking about all sorts of conifers including: Firs with their flat needles, the Pines, the edible nut pines, , spruces, cedars, the Douglas fir,
They start out talking about all sorts of conifers including: Firs with their flat needles, the Pines, the edible nut pines, , spruces, cedars, the Douglas fir, yews, bald cypress, tamarack and larches.
They discuss the uses these conifers: building, medicinal, making musical instruments, and much more. Paul and Neil also discuss the difference between a forest and woodland.
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Relevant Threads Neil's Keyline Design and Holistic Management Course

David IngrahamGet all of the podcasts in convenient, giant zip files ]]>Paul Wheatonyes361 – Tim Barker on what a PDC is – Part 2https://richsoil.com/permaculture/79971-361-tim-barker-on-what-a-pdc-is-part-2
Tue, 31 Jan 2017 01:28:26 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=79971<p>This is part 2 of a 2 part podcast. Paul and Tim Barker continue to talk about the plans for the 2017 PDC from May 28 to June 10. There will be 91 hours of instruction, more than the usual 72 hours, and then there will be evening presentations on top of that, so a […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>This is part 2 of a 2 part podcast. Paul and Tim Barker continue to talk about the plans for the 2017 PDC from May 28 to June 10. There will be 91 hours of instruction, more than the usual 72 hours, and then there will be evening presentations on top o...Paul and Tim continue their conversation about the Homesteader Permaculture Design Course that will be held at Wheaton Lab near Missoula, Montana from Sunday, May 28th through Saturday June 10th, 2017.They mention that the focus is on design, the homesteading flavor will come from the examples found at Wheaton's Lab. This permaculture design course will actually be more hours than the regular PDCs. Unlike in previous years, the food will be provided. The course is less expensive than most others. Holistic management will be integrated in the course. This permaculture design course will not have a spiritual aspect to it. Tim and Paul also go over the list of instructors: Thomas J. Elpel, Helen Atthowe, Ernie and Erica Wisner, Jacqueline Freeman, and possibly Zach Weiss.Paul Wheatonyes360 – Tim Barker on what a PDC is – Part 1https://richsoil.com/permaculture/79967-360-tim-barker-on-what-a-pdc-is-part-1
Sun, 29 Jan 2017 02:10:11 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=79967<p>Paul talks with Tim Barker about the upcoming Homesteader PDC (Permaculture Design Course) that will be held at Wheaton Lab near Missoula, Montana from Sunday, May 28th through Saturday June 10th, 2017. Tim and Paul will be the main instructors. Thomas J. Elpel, Helen Atthowe, Ernie and Erica Wisner, and Jacqueline Freeman will be guest […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul talks with Tim Barker about the upcoming Homesteader PDC (Permaculture Design Course) that will be held at Wheaton Lab near Missoula, Montana from Sunday, May 28th through Saturday June 10th, 2017. Tim and Paul will be the main instructors.
Tim was the land manager for Geoff Lawton's Zaythuna Farm, a Rocket Mass Heater innovator, an appropriate technology and has taught many PDC's with Geoff Lawton.
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Relevant Threads2017 Homesteaders PDC (Permaculture Design Course) in Montana

David IngrahamGet all of the podcasts in convenient, giant zip files ]]>Paul Wheatonyes359 – Homesteading Choiceshttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/79964-359-homesteading-choices
Wed, 25 Jan 2017 13:40:39 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=79964<p>Come, grasshopper, and listen to Uncle Paul and Aunt Erica dispense advice about pursuing your homesteading dream... Don't make the same mistakes we have! Whatever you do, DON'T get into having a mortgage, out in the country. The classic error is the couple who decide to buy a place a ways out of town, but […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Come, grasshopper, and listen to Uncle Paul and Aunt Erica dispense advice about pursuing your homesteading dream... Don't make the same mistakes we have! Whatever you do, DON'T get into having a mortgage, out in the country.Paul and Erica Wisner talk about homesteading mistakes they have made and mistakes they have seen other people make: big mortgage, long commute, breaking equipment, etc. They talk about some solutions for those pitfalls. They also wander a bit on the topic of Rocket Mass Heaters.Paul Wheatonyes358 – Review of Just Enough Part 3https://richsoil.com/permaculture/79960-358-review-of-just-enough-part-3
Mon, 23 Jan 2017 14:39:26 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=79960<p>Paul had Abe Coley and Rory Page with him to review Just Enough: Lesson on Living Green from Traditional Japan by Azby Brown. In this podcast they discuss sleeping arrangements, IKEA, particle board, frugality, durability, big box shipping, toilets, night soil arrangements, other toilet arrangements, bathing, waste water, solar water heating and soaplessness. Then they […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul had Abe Coley and Rory Page with him to review Just Enough: Lesson on Living Green from Traditional Japan by Azby Brown. In this podcast they discuss sleeping arrangements, IKEA, particle board, frugality, durability, big box shipping, toilets,
In this podcast they discuss sleeping arrangements, IKEA, particle board, frugality, durability, big box shipping, toilets, night soil arrangements, other toilet arrangements, bathing, waste water, solar water heating and soaplessness.
Then they talked about self-sufficiency, village co-operation, green cottage industries and making charcoal.
Credit: Susan McGuinness
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Relevant ThreadsJust Enough By Azby Brown

David IngrahamGet all of the podcasts in convenient, giant zip files ]]>Paul Wheatonyes357 – Cutting Your Heat Bill in Halfhttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/79957-357-cutting-your-heat-bill-in-half
Sat, 21 Jan 2017 03:35:08 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=79957<p>Paul and Jocelyn talk to Ernie and Erica about how to reduce your energy consumption through the use of incandescent light bulbs. Ernie explains how Paul is wrong. They talk about how the power companies are uninterested in you actually reducing your consumption. Ernie underlines that your heat bill is one part of the puzzle, […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul and Jocelyn talk to Ernie and Erica about how to reduce your energy consumption through the use of incandescent light bulbs. Ernie explains how Paul is wrong. They talk about how the power companies are uninterested in you actually reducing your c...
Credit: Dawn Hoff
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Relevant Threadsmicro heaters cut 87% off my electric heat bill

David IngrahamGet all of the podcasts in convenient, giant zip files ]]>Paul Wheatonyes356 – Botany in a Day Review – Part 2https://richsoil.com/permaculture/79954-356-botany-in-a-day-review-part-2
Fri, 20 Jan 2017 01:53:07 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=79954<p>Paul and Neil Bertrando continue their review about Botany in a Day by Thomas Elpel. Paul tells us that since the book is about 200 pages, this is a high-level skim of botany. The topic is so vast; it would fill a whole library. This section starts right in with starting to classify a flowering […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul and Neil Bertrando continue their review about Botany in a Day by Thomas Elpel. Paul tells us that since the book is about 200 pages, this is a high-level skim of botany. The topic is so vast; it would fill a whole library.
Paul tells us that since the book is about 200 pages, this is a high-level skim of botany. The topic is so vast; it would fill a whole library.
This section starts right in with starting to classify a flowering plant. There is a break down a flower, showing what each part of it and corresponding chart to help you narrow down your plant. There are gobs of drawings in this section, and because of that, this section is particular hard to discuss in a podcast (without visuals).
Paul shares some information about lichens that is in his version of the book, but not in Neil’s newer version. They discuss the club moss family, the many uses of horsetails and ferns.
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Relevant Threads Neil's Keyline Design and Holistic Management Course

David IngrahamGet all of the podcasts in convenient, giant zip files ]]>Paul Wheatonyes355 – Review of Just Enough Part 1https://richsoil.com/permaculture/79951-355-review-of-just-enough-part-1
Tue, 17 Jan 2017 14:06:57 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=79951<p>Paul had Abe Coley, from Home ReSource in Missoula, with him in this podcast to review Just Enough: Lessons on Living Green from Traditional Japan, by Azby Brown. The book is written in stories, extensively researched. In this podcast they discuss the Forward and Chapter One, the farmer from kai province. In the Foreword the […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul had Abe Coley, from Home ReSource in Missoula, with him in this podcast to review Just Enough: Lessons on Living Green from Traditional Japan, by Azby Brown. The book is written in stories, extensively researched.Paul had Abe Coley, from Home ReSource in Missoula, with him in this podcast to review Just Enough: Lessons on Living Green from Traditional Japan, by Azby Brown.Paul Wheatonyes354 – Saving the World in your Backyard Part 2https://richsoil.com/permaculture/79945-354-saving-the-world-in-your-backyard-part-2
Tue, 10 Jan 2017 13:52:00 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=79945<p>Paul and Jocelyn continue their response to Derrick Jenson's article and how they think personal change can make a difference. They talk about energy consumption, energy subsidies, municipal waste, spreading ideas and offsetting ones footprint. Paul emphasises that when people change industry will follow. He also voices his frustration at the mainstream solutions are like […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul and Jocelyn continue their response to Derrick Jenson's article and how they think personal change can make a difference. They talk about energy consumption, energy subsidies, municipal waste, spreading ideas and offsetting ones footprint.
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Relevant ThreadsDerrick Jensen "personal change vs. political change"

David IngrahamGet all of the podcasts in convenient, giant zip files ]]>Paul Wheatonyes353 – Saving the World in your Backyard Part 1https://richsoil.com/permaculture/79941-353-saving-the-world-in-your-backyard
Thu, 05 Jan 2017 02:47:45 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=79941<p>Paul and Jocelyn are talking about solving global problems in one's backyard in response to Derrick Jensen's article "Forget Shorter Showers". However, they start the podcast by talking about permaculture author and educator Toby Hemenway passing away. They also talk about permies.com moderator John Polk passing away. Paul mentions that he thinks Derrick is one […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul and Jocelyn are talking about solving global problems in one's backyard in response to Derrick Jensen's article "Forget Shorter Showers". However, they start the podcast by talking about permaculture author and educator Toby Hemenway passing away....
Paul mentions that he thinks Derrick is one of Permaculture's great and that he agrees with most things he says, BUT that he thinks there is another way. Paul says that he thinks that to solve global problems, we must start with solutions in our backyard and then scale them.
Paul and Jocelyn start by talking about a graph that shows the major sources of carbon emissions in the US. The two main sources are electricity and heating. They talk about how rocket mass heaters and proper woodland management could reduce them. They also talk about ways to reduce the emissions from transportation. They conclude part one by talking water conservation.
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Relevant ThreadsDerrick Jensen "personal change vs. political change"

David IngrahamGet all of the podcasts in convenient, giant zip files ]]>Paul Wheatonyes352 – Bits and Bobshttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/79932-352-bits-and-bobs
Mon, 26 Dec 2016 16:46:01 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=79932<p>Paul and Jocelyn recorded the podcast while they were on the road. They talk about many bits and bobs that had built up over the few weeks they went without recording a podcast. They cover many topics: driving in the snow, changing the tractor fluids, poo-less status, Paul's cervical radiculopathy, the religious podcast, getting the […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul and Jocelyn recorded the podcast while they were on the road. They talk about many bits and bobs that had built up over the few weeks they went without recording a podcast. They cover many topics: driving in the snow, changing the tractor fluids,
They mentioned about their trip to the Pacific coast the week of January 15th. They will be going to Portland, Seattle, Yakima, and Coeur d'Alene. Paul is doing a consultation, a few talks and Jocelyn is visiting family and clients.
Paul and Jocelyn thanked people who gave them some presents: a hat from someone in Europe, Jacqueline Freeman's latest book.
The next podcast will be about how to solve the world problems in your backyard. It is a response to Derrick Jensen's article that said the world could not be saved in one's backyard. In response to that article, Paul wants to write a book on that topic. He would need help, because Jocelyn is too busy. He thinks that 90% of the book's content is already written in multiple posts.
They ended the podcast by talking about the new forum features available to PIE members.
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Relevant ThreadsPaul and Jocelyn going to Portland and Seattle

]]>Paul Wheatonyes351 – Update from Wheaton Lab and Listener Questions Part 2https://richsoil.com/permaculture/79926-351-update-from-wheaton-lab-and-listener-questions-part-2
Wed, 23 Nov 2016 02:22:27 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=79926<p>Paul, Jocelyn and Fred continue their discussion with Paul’s announcement of Ant village 2017 pricing. They then move on to more listener questions. The first one pertains to what ratio of nitrogen fixers Paul recommends for planting. They talk about the issue of chopped and dropped branches breaking down in a dry climate and they […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul, Jocelyn and Fred continue their discussion with Paul’s announcement of Ant village 2017 pricing. They then move on to more listener questions. The first one pertains to what ratio of nitrogen fixers Paul recommends for planting.
The next question they answer is about the edibility of siberian pea shrub. Paul’s experience is that they are too hard to eat and he has doubt about its quality as chicken feed.
The last question covered in this podcast is about preserving annuals. Paul, Jocelyn and Fred talk about canning, freezing, fermentation, and dehydration. Fred talks about his plan to try root cellaring in a clamp
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Relevant Threadsant village 2017

David IngrahamGet all of the podcasts in convenient, giant zip files ]]>Paul Wheatonyes350 – Update from Wheaton Lab and Listener Questions Part 1https://richsoil.com/permaculture/79922-350-update-from-wheaton-lab-and-listener-questions-part-1
Sun, 20 Nov 2016 01:57:13 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=79922<p>Paul, Jocelyn and Fred talk about things that have been going on at Wheaton Lab. They talk about Jerusalem artichokes (sunchokes) that were harvested at Basecamp and they cook them. They discuss planting tree seeds and how Paul’s Patreon seems to make it worth cranking out more videos, podcast, and articles. Paul and Jocelyn went […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul, Jocelyn and Fred talk about things that have been going on at Wheaton Lab. They talk about Jerusalem artichokes (sunchokes) that were harvested at Basecamp and they cook them. They discuss planting tree seeds and how Paul’s Patreon seems to make ...
The podcast then moves on to listeners questions that Jocelyn and Paul were answering when they were doing the Sunday walk podcasts. The first question they answer is about annuals in permaculture and whether we can get most food from perennials in cold climate.
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Relevant ThreadsSunchoke fermentation

David IngrahamGet all of the podcasts in convenient, giant zip files ]]>Paul Wheatonyes349 – LED vs Incandescent Lighthttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/79914-349-led-vs-incandescent-light
Fri, 18 Nov 2016 03:21:01 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=79914<p>Paul, Jocelyn and Fred discuss the question whether incandescent light is still better than LED light. The short answer is "yes." The longer answer fills a podcast. They explore many aspects: subsidy, energy sucking activities (heating, cooling, drying clothes, cooking), lighting habits, light quality, longevity, toxicity from cradle to grave, complexity, and the total energy […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul, Jocelyn and Fred discuss the question whether incandescent light is still better than LED light. The short answer is "yes." The longer answer fills a podcast. They explore many aspects: subsidy, energy sucking activities (heating, cooling,
Support the podcast on Patreon
Relevant ThreadsIs incandescent light still better than LED light?

David IngrahamGet all of the podcasts in convenient, giant zip files ]]>Paul Wheatonyes348 – Permaculture Millionairehttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/79911-348-permaculture-millionaire
Wed, 16 Nov 2016 13:42:50 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=79911<p>Paul wrote a post as a reaction to an article in the Huffington Post about permaculture. It is the story of Gert and Ferd. Ferd commutes to work, buys all his food, buys all his entertainment and has little disposable income. Gert is living the permaculture dream; she is not rich, but she would not […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul wrote a post as a reaction to an article in the Huffington Post about permaculture. It is the story of Gert and Ferd. Ferd commutes to work, buys all his food, buys all his entertainment and has little disposable income.
After Paul telling the story, the discussion moves onto other topics such as land access, financial strategy, community, how living wage is a relative concept, chem ag vs. permaculture, and much more.
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Relevant Threadsthe story of Gert thread

David IngrahamGet all of the podcasts in convenient, giant zip files ]]>Paul Wheatonyes347 – Ant Village Challenge Update – Part 2https://richsoil.com/permaculture/79905-347-ant-village-challenge-update-part-2
Tue, 15 Nov 2016 00:17:13 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=79905<p>In recent times, the focus has been primarily on the Ant Village. Ant village is going well, other projects, not so much. The berm shed that was originally proposed to be constructed in four days may someday soon be finished, more than a year later. Fred is working on it with Kai. A fair amount […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>In recent times, the focus has been primarily on the Ant Village. Ant village is going well, other projects, not so much. The berm shed that was originally proposed to be constructed in four days may someday soon be finished, more than a year later.
Ant village is going well, other projects, not so much. The berm shed that was originally proposed to be constructed in four days may someday soon be finished, more than a year later. Fred is working on it with Kai. A fair amount of it had to be re-built, they are pulling dirt off the roof, fixing things up, doing a better job with the tarps, then re-covering. A big deal. Still, the whole thing is very close to finally being done. Earthworks have been done to control water flow. Fred says they will run electricity in there very soon.
Many of Paul’s projects and income streams sort of dried up while he was flat on his back for three months. The ants were quite busy with their own stuff. Paul’s own plans for the land around the Fisher Price house are still mostly on hold. They’ve got one paddock - he’d like to have four paddocks before he’s ready to have chickens. There’s got to be stuff growing in there for the system to work. Paul can’t build paddocks, he’s got to work on income right now.
Right now, Paul doesn’t have a lot of coin. What he has is deep root plots - land.
So, how to monetize the land? How to get things moving? Some people have come out to help, and found things to be a little too unstructured. They’d like to come out and do a lot of different things. The new plan is called “permaculture boot camp.”
Build some cob, peel some logs, put together some junk pole fence.
Fred will run permaculture boot camp. Kai will help. Here’s the daily plan:

7am - breakfast

8am - working on cool stuff

noon - lunch (boots will cook and clean their meals together)

1pm - back on the job

5pm - dinner
Everybody gets a bunk, everybody gets access to the Fisher Price house. Food may be vegan. Paul’s hoping for more wildcrafting of food. More than just the huckleberry picking that happened during the “20 month party,” which is how he describes the original gapper program.
Boots to Roots. After being a good boot camper for 18 months, you can have a deep roots package. After 18 months of learning, you will be ready to take advantage of this, ready to build your own house and food systems (or whatever works for you). If you do 24 months, your acre will have a little house and some hugelkultur gardens.
Still, some people might come and do this for just a few weeks. We’ll see how it goes. Right now, the available 6 slots are full, they are setting up a waiting list. Official start date is February 4th, if you are fired up, you could come sooner than that but you’d have to find a new gig on February 4th 2017.
Jocelyn wants to point out this is NOT a military style boot camp. It’s simply a more structured learning opportunity. Paul says it’s more modelled after a thing like “java boot camp” where you come in and have an intensive learning experience. It won’t be 100 hours per week, more like 48.
Paul sees Boots to Roots as a great alternative to college. Sometimes college isn’t such a great deal. You put in four years and get into debt, now you have to get a job to pay off your debt. What if what you want to do is build your own home and grow your own food? Come out to the lab.
Fred says “we’ll start with 6 people and see how it goes.”
Paul says he meets people who don’t really know what they want, they just know that their current life is unsatisfactory. Coming out to be a boot is a way to explore what it is that you want. Paul likes the idea that a person may come out for a few weeks and then decide it’s not for them, but it’s fine, because there’s another person on the wait list who is ready to step in.
If you come out, and you love it, you could end up with your own acre to work with after a couple of years. Jocelyn points out that few people have roundwood or timber building skills. If they came and participated in the permacultu...]]>Paul Wheatonyes346 – Ant Village Challenge Update – Part 1https://richsoil.com/permaculture/79900-346-ant-village-challenge-update-part-1
Fri, 11 Nov 2016 03:49:51 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=79900<p>Paul is with Fred and Jocelyn to record a podcast for us! Thanks, Jocelyn, this is a great idea! (She’s pencilled regular get togethers for podcast recordings into Paul’s schedule.) The DVDs are finally out - huzzah. You should have some by now if you ordered them. The first of the four - building a […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul is with Fred and Jocelyn to record a podcast for us! Thanks, Jocelyn, this is a great idea! (She’s pencilled regular get togethers for podcast recordings into Paul’s schedule.) The DVDs are finally out - huzzah.
The DVDs are finally out - huzzah. You should have some by now if you ordered them. The first of the four - building a cob style rocket mass heater - is set up to be a good stand-alone introduction to rocket mass heaters. Paul has an awesome deal for the digital version of this. If you can direct people to the digital market for this, the affiliate percentage is 80%. (What?!?) So, you will pocket 80% of the price. Paul thinks it’s worth giving you all that money because it introduces people to his stuff.
Julianne of dirtpatcheaven listened to Paul talking about residual income streams, followed his advice, and now is traveling the country with her family, funded by her income streams. She came by the lab and made multiple awesome videos.
Paul still thinks that somebody who is smart at marketing could make a lot of money selling the digital downloads of the “Building a Cob Style Rocket Mass Heater” DVD, but really, not many have been sold this way. Consider it an opportunity.
Ernie and Erica’s book is out, the guide to rocket mass heaters. The primary build in the book is the same RMH that is in the first DVD, so the book and DVD together are a terrific combination for anybody wanting to build a cob style rocket mass heater. Go to richsoil.com/wood-heat.jsp
Paul reviewed the book while he was still on his back with cervical radiculopathy. He was on his back for three months. He’s feeling better, the biggest residual issue is pain if he has to stand still for more than a minute. He is still working on regaining his strength. Jocelyn says work is ongoing on improving health, they’ve been pretty good, except for all the Halloween candy.
Paul has a story he wants to share on a podcast. First, when Paul lived on Mount Spokane there was a property nearby with 80 acres, a house, a barn, a little creek, not too far from Spokane. It was available with owner financing, where you put one third down and then your mortgage payments go to the owner. The couple who took this had to start with $100K down, and then keep working their day jobs, now a 45 minute commute away. Long story short, the guy who sold the property, sold it five times. A couple would buy it, live there for a while, then have to give up.
So many people try to do the homesteading thing while still working full time. It’s too much. It can’t be done! Living in extended family can help, but not a lot of modern Americans are interested in living with their parents, or in-laws, or adult children.
Paul has met dozens of people in this same bind. He remembers visiting a really pretty little farm near his place on Mount Spokane for a yard sale. He asked what the story was. The couple bought the farm, stocked it up with all the animals, kept working 45 minutes away in Spokane. Then they cut way back on the animals. Then they cut back more (hence the yard sale) but at that point the woman of the couple was feeling like the whole thing was a mistake.
This reminds Paul about how living in community often breaks up couples, where one person loves it and the other person hates it. When Paul moved to Mount Spokane, he realized that he couldn’t possibly do all the things he wanted to do on his own. He decided that he wanted to be in community with multiple other folks who are crazy about permaculture, like he was. That was back in 2005, 11 years ago So, he decided he had to figure out how community works.
His dream was to have a group of people all with different skills, all handling a different aspect of an awesome permaculture farm, like Sepp Holzer’s farm. 11 years later,]]>Paul Wheatonyes345 – Keys To Building a Healthy Soil – Part 2https://richsoil.com/permaculture/79684-345-keys-building-healthy-soil-part-2
Mon, 30 May 2016 19:47:25 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=79684<p>Paul and friends at Wheaton Labs continue reviewing Gabe Browns' 58 minute video entitled "Gabe Brown: Keys To Building a Healthy Soil" which includes lots of permaculture. When there is a large variety of plants, the exudates work symbiotically through the mycelium to find lots of water. Paul next talks about different cover crops and […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul and friends at Wheaton Labs continue reviewing Gabe Browns' 58 minute video entitled "Gabe Brown: Keys To Building a Healthy Soil" which includes lots of permaculture. When there is a large variety of plants,Gabe Brown: Keys To Building a Healthy Soil" which includes lots of permaculture.
When there is a large variety of plants, the exudates work symbiotically through the mycelium to find lots of water. Paul next talks about different cover crops and recipes of cover crops to create and grow what you want. Paul likes the idea of major trees anchoring each berm at the lab. Paul talks about the sandy soil at Wheaton labs.
Gabe talks about how he got 13 inches of rain in six hours and how his fields absorbed all the water. When his fields started it could only absorb a half inch per hour but now it's more than eight per hour. He next talks about his cattle and how they interact with his system. Gabe shows off his panels and how they automatically open one paddock and the cattle move to the next paddock. He estimates that cattle only consume about 30% of the material in the field before being moved to the next paddock. The trampling by the cattle creates an armour which acts like a mulch. Brown optimizes his fields to grow as much of his cattle feed as possible. He says he is not interested in being certified organic. Paul feels Gabe is better than organic. A question arose as to whether or not he uses herbicides. Paul was hopeful that Gabe does not use them.
Higher quality soil leads to longer growing season. This could be from soil biology but also the plant diversity could be contributing to longer growing season too. With a full canopy of plants it keeps the soil cooler when it is hot and warmer when it gets cool as much as 20 degrees. Gabe runs a hayless operation. They do not put hay out for their cattle in the winter. Gabe emphasized that the species of cattle needs to be cold tolerant. Paul mentioned that the plant species that are cold tolerant would be important too.
The next item was a soil test. Gabe planted the corn and the county average was 100 bushels per acre but he was able to harvest 142 bushels per acre. When there is good soil biology you do not need lots of nitrogen. Ward labs does a special test now just for Brown. It is based on new standards. This test shows what the soil needs where standard test show what do the plants need. Paul thinks this makes sense because the current test show nutrients and elements but the soil needs other things not just elements and nutrients. Gabe is doing broad acre planting and Paul wants to ask him if he is going to do work with food forests. Paul thinks he is showing that you can make massively huge gardens with diverse polyculture yielding 11.2% organic matter.
The issues of harvesting grains is discussed next. Hand harvesting grains with a scythe is slow going and combines do have a place for broad scale harvesting. Gabe did a half field test with animals and without. The half with animals did much better. Gabe discusses stacking enterprises and these are similar to Joel Salatin's fiefdoms. For each insect pest there are 1700 beneficial species. Paul gives example of Colorado potato beetle and if it's attacking a plant then that plant probably should not be growing there. Healthy plants do not attract pests. Paul gives an example of a rhubarb near the house and how some pests will disappear as the soil improves on the hugel bed. If you have an abundance of pests the predators will find them and eat them. Song birds and sparrows are good examples of predators that take a long time to establish.
Brown's Ranch is the name of Gabe's farm. High carbon plants are more important to Gabe than high nitrogen plants. Cows convert organic matter to bioavailable matter. Animals help get the carbon into the soil. Paul explains why Gabe controls what the cattle eat depending on their final destination. What cattle need for food and the high carbon food versus high nitrogen food.]]>Paul Wheatonyes344 – Keys To Building a Healthy Soil – Part 1https://richsoil.com/permaculture/79681-344-keys-building-healthy-soil-part-1
Wed, 25 May 2016 02:38:33 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=79681<p>Paul and friends at Wheaton Labs give a group review of Gabe Browns 58 minute video entitled "Gabe Brown: Keys To Building a Healthy Soil" which includes lots of permaculture. Paul begins the podcast with a talk about non-native vs native plants. Natives are typically better adapted and people are worried about invasive species pushing […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul and friends at Wheaton Labs give a group review of Gabe Browns 58 minute video entitled "Gabe Brown: Keys To Building a Healthy Soil" which includes lots of permaculture. Paul begins the podcast with a talk about non-native vs native plants.Gabe Brown: Keys To Building a Healthy Soil" which includes lots of permaculture. Paul begins the podcast with a talk about non-native vs native plants. Natives are typically better adapted and people are worried about invasive species pushing native species out. Paul gives an example using the Russian Olive. Paul feels that there are several schools of thought on this. Paul thinks that Russian Olive could be used and harvested to make hugel beds. With modern tools like the ax or chainsaw it can be easily managed. If we allow permaculture folks to manage the land they can keep the Russian Olive in check and invasion will not be a problem. However, if one person tries to manage 20,000 acres it will be difficult if not impossible. Paul wanted to touch next on the profound points he came across in the video. Gabe Brown is dah man. He has 5000 acres in North Dakota near Bismarck. Gabe is doing well on his property. He does not use pesticides or fertilizers or tilling. He loves his no till drill. Gabe also says he no longer uses government subsidies. Gabe does not use crop insurance or bankers. He starts off showing forest soil with 4.3% organic matter and compares it to the conventionally tilled soil that only has 1.6% organic matter. Paul thinks a big part of Gabes video message was no till mixed with polyculture. Gabe listed a few dates when he started no till along his various fields. Paul mentions how he worked many years ago harvesting crops and how moving equipment took a long time because fields are spread out. Because Brown's fields are close to each other this may not be a big problem for him. Gabe explains the symbiotic relationship and how they need less water due to the hyphae. Paul goes over the soil structure and how tilling destroys the structure. In Gabe's video he calls the good soil black cottage cheese. Paul liked what Brown showed how earthworms and critters can open up lots of trails in the soil. Aggregate within the soil helps with the structure. During the video Gabe explains how water crossing his land is absorbed and makes the soil less compactable. The mycorrhiza are killed by tilling. Each time you till you lose 30% of your organic matter. When you till you bring in air that gives the surviving mycorrhiza material to consume however you have lost a good amount of the organic matter. Fungi need to bring nutrients to the plant to trade for sugar during the exchange. The fungi bring many things to trade. Janet explains her reasoning and Fred shares his opinion too. Gabe says his plants need less water because he is using no till methods along with mulching. Paul discusses how much water the plant needs versus how much it can consume. There is a discussion about the water needs of plants. Paul drops the topic but says he will return to this topic. Gabe claims that plants that are healthier are less susceptible to pest problems. Mycorrhiza take up space and act like white blood cells in a way. Paul reviews what Kai has planted i.e. A tall fescue. Paul thinks that the tall fescue he sees around Wheaton labs have endophytes. These act as antibiotics that can catch nematodes and consume them. These endophytes help the tall fescue grow like mad. Paul reviews the corn trial that Gabe performed. Gabe compared a half field he applied fertilizer to vs a half field he applied no fertilizer. Gabe shows how he got nearly identical yields. Gabe claims that if we stop abusing the soil and plant legumes along with the corn to provide ample nitrogen. Paul feels this has a lot to do with aged soils that were not tilled. Gabe claims his yields are 40 % higher than conventionally farmed fields. Gabe takes the crops he wants then brings cattle in. In a one foot x one foot area he has over sixty worms. Gabe says part of the key is to minimize the bare soil.]]>Paul Wheatonyes343 – The Art and Science of Natural Plasters – Part 2https://richsoil.com/permaculture/79581-343-art-science-natural-plasters-part-2
Tue, 03 May 2016 20:12:36 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=79581<p>In the second part of the podcast, Paul, Jocelyn and Fred continue to review Bart’s DVD on The Art and Science of Natural Plasters, for which Paul was the “Supreme Executive Producer.” This mostly because permies.com people supported the Kickstarter in a big way. You can find the DVD at http://plasterscience.com Paul is concerned that […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>In the second part of the podcast, Paul, Jocelyn and Fred continue to review Bart’s DVD on The Art and Science of Natural Plasters, for which Paul was the “Supreme Executive Producer.” This mostly because permies.
You can find the DVD at http://plasterscience.com
Paul is concerned that he used some soil in his plaster, there was some pretty dark stuff. They said if the soil has at least 15% clay, you can use it for plaster. Some places that’s the best you can do (Ed: places with more bugs, likely).
Paul diverts to explain sand versus silt versus clay. You might think that silt and clay are the same thing, but the silt particles are more round and the clay particles are more flat. This is why clay behaves differently. Fred reports that Chris prefers “concrete sand” to “brick sand” because it has more variety of particle sizes and will lend more strength to your plaster.
Paul liked the demonstration of how different sorts of clay made different colors. They have a couple different colors of clay on the property, which is cool. They have all sorts of building material on the property, which is awesome (multiple types of sand, multiple types of clay and even something that can serve as “shitty cob” right out of the ground). Fred interjects that even the instant cob is best pushed through a screen first, for the sake of the hands and feet of the workers.
Back to lime plaster versus clay plaster - lime plaster takes a lot longer to cure, so that can slow you down. With clay plaster, you can move faster through the layers. Everything demonstrated in the video was with clay based plasters. There is some sort of “hydraulic lime” that comes from Europe and cures faster. Fred recalls a mention of NHL - natural hydraulic lime - and how it comes in different speeds of curing.
Paul was confused by the use of fired clay. Fred (correctly) says that the fired clay was used as an aggregate in a lime plaster. (Editor: yes, in ceramics, we run fired clay through a hammer mill to create “grog.” The grog is an aggregate in our stoneware, it lends strength to the clay and decreases shrinkage.) Anyway, the video probably doesn’t cover lime plasters well enough for a novice to start using them.
Mixers - Paul got a cement mixer at the lab, he thought it could be used for cob, but Ernie and Erica disabused him of that notion. (They did end up using it for some things, though, so it wasn’t a complete waste.) Fred explains that a cement mixer has a barrel that turns to mix the contents. Chris recommends a mortar mixer for making plasters - this has a paddle that turns inside the barrel. Paul says maybe someday they will get one of those paddle style mixers, to help make cob. It could substitute for some of the cob stomping that otherwise needs to happen. Cob stomping is really fun, for a couple of hours, for most people. However, making cob requires a whole lot of mixing.
Hey, there are two Ant positions left! You come here, pay $1200 and you are covered until 2018. It works out to less than $100/month rent. You’ll get to attend the appropriate technology course, and Erica will be teaching about natural plasters there!
He had a nice section on tools (if you like that sort of thing - Jocelyn nodded off). Paul was intrigued to hear that steel trowels/floats bring water to the surface and that can lead to cracking. He had some trowels made with alternative materials, like wood and even magnesium of some sort. When you are using the tools, you never pat the wall, you smear and slide over the surface. If you pat it (applying force perpendicular to the surface) you encourage the layers to separate.
They point out that some natural pigments can be toxic. Paul notes a few natural things that are toxic, like “Death Camas.” Jocelyn would love to bring some natural pigments into the Fisher Price house at basecamp.]]>Paul Wheatonyes342 – The Art and Science of Natural Plasters – Part 1https://richsoil.com/permaculture/79579-342-art-science-natural-plasters-part-1
Fri, 29 Apr 2016 16:54:41 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=79579<p>In today’s podcast, Paul, Jocelyn and Fred review Bart’s DVD on The Art and Science of Natural Plasters, for which Paul was the “Supreme Executive Producer.” This mostly because permies.com people supported the Kickstarter in a big way. You can find the DVD at http://plasterscience.com Paul says “Overall, I thought it was really good.” He […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>In today’s podcast, Paul, Jocelyn and Fred review Bart’s DVD on The Art and Science of Natural Plasters, for which Paul was the “Supreme Executive Producer.” This mostly because permies.com people supported the Kickstarter in a big way.
You can find the DVD at http://plasterscience.com
Paul says “Overall, I thought it was really good.” He hasn’t had a lot of experience with natural plasters, although he did a lot of “mudding” with the commercial white stuff for drywall when he was a kid, working with his father.
So, a plaster is aggregate and fiber, somehow bound together. The aggregate lends strength, the fiber lends flexibility and strength. The binder for cob is clay - sticky and kinda like glue. You can make a plaster with clay as the binder, it’s just got finer aggregate and fiber in it than cob. You can also have a lime plaster.
Jocelyn thought there was going to be more about natural paints, but it was mostly about structural plasters and finish plasters, although of course you can tint the plaster and you’re done. Paul says that finally at the end, Chris Magwood (the star of the video, a guy with 20 years of experience in this space) says that lime plasters are recommended for outside uses and clay plasters are recommended for inside uses. Lime plasters are more rain resistant, it’s more of a chemical bond that gets stronger with time. Clay never sets permanently, this makes it vulnerable, but it also makes it easier to repair. Local clay has the least amount of embodied energy.
A big difference between the two is that lime has a lot more embedded energy - you have to expend a lot of energy to create lime. Paul recalls watching how limestone was converted to “slaked lime” by burning it in a kiln. When you add water to lime, it gets hot, because the energy previously put in there is sort of coming back at ya. (Editor: This is chemistry, folks. In the kiln an endothermic chemical reaction is forced to happen with the addition of heat, and then later on, adding water leads to an exothermic chemical reaction. It’s a way to transport the energy to where you need it.)
Anyway, getting back to the clay plasters, for inside use. If you put a thick layer of plaster (3/4”) on the insides of your walls, you are increasing thermal mass, which has a lot of advantages. The clay will fill all cracks, so your home is more “airtight” but the material itself is breathable, so you don’t have to poke holes in your house like you do when you seal your house with plastic. Per Paul, it’s like living inside a terra cotta pot - no wind, but breathable.
Clay plasters are what you’re going to use when you build a straw bale house, or when you build a cob house. Another framework for plaster is lathe (a bunch of thin boards). This reminds Paul of living in a plaster and lathe house and how you can’t hang a painting the usual way, because you can’t nail into plaster. One solution is to have a board worked into the wall, another is to hang your pictures from crown moulding. The moral is, plan where your towel racks are going to go BEFORE you finish the walls with plaster.
In the video, Chris Magwood does a good job of explaining how you use the different materials to make a good thick strong layer that sticks to the wall. They used a fair amount of straw, cut into small bits with a chipper. Jocelyn notes how they had a lot of good practical tips, and how Chris could plaster an entire wall in the time it took five students to plaster half a wall. Getting this video will be really helpful for anybody planning to use natural plasters because you can tap into all his experience.
So the plaster goes up in layers, one to create a base (a filling layer), one (with 50% straw by volume) that creates most of the mass, then a smoothing layer and then a finishing layer. There could also be a final pigmented finishing layer.
Paul remembers making drywall with his dad, where you have many steps,]]>Paul Wheatonyes341 – Hugelkultur Listener Questions With Cassie – Part 3https://richsoil.com/permaculture/79542-341-hugelkultur-listener-questions-cassie-part-3
Mon, 18 Apr 2016 01:30:21 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=79542<p>Paul continues answering permies' members questions about hugelkultur with Cassie. If you live in an area where there is 100% sand should you import topsoil? When you have pure sand, Paul says to never buy topsoil, however he will see a spot in a field with good soil and they are about to develop it […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul continues answering permies' members questions about hugelkultur with Cassie. If you live in an area where there is 100% sand should you import topsoil? When you have pure sand, Paul says to never buy topsoil,
If you live in an area where there is 100% sand should you import topsoil? When you have pure sand, Paul says to never buy topsoil, however he will see a spot in a field with good soil and they are about to develop it he might take some of that soil. Most commercial topsoils are laced with persistent herbicides. Paul's says do not buy it. If you can not find topsoil from a natural area, then you should try to convert you sand into topsoil. Plant legumes and nitrogen fixers. Consider planting grasses too. Where Paul is, millet grows well and builds topsoil. You need to try different mixes and figure out what works the best in your area. This question was directed with respect to a hugel mound. If you just covered the wood with sand, then all that happens is a petrification of the wood. The soil needs organisms to help break the wood down. Try criss crossing the wood. Load up the mound with legumes. We want them to set root in the wood. Don't be surprised if some wood at the top of the mound becomes exposed. Paul says it again: do not bring in topsoil because of the persistent herbicides.
Next question is the Hugel-Swale? Mythical creature?.

Paul says these are best used in tropical and sub tropical areas. These are not so good in colder climates. Much like bio-char which does not work well in cold climates as well. Paul refers to a conversation with Geoff Lawton where they debate swale versus terrace. Paul called the swale a frost pocket. A year after the first debate Geoff conceded to Paul's description. Paul feels that you want to keep cold air OUT of your system with a few odd exceptions. Hugle-mounds should be run perpendicular to the contours where swales typically run parallel to contour. When using a swale, water seeps into the ground and saturates the down stream area but when it is cold it creates a frost pocket. Paul refers to an article in Permaculture News where the hugel-swale debate was continued. Paul says that mixing lasagna gardening and hugel mounds is a big mistake. Do not mix the two techniques.
Next question deals with pests

Paul talks about his infestation of chipmunks in his hugelbed. There was an explosion of life with the chipmunks. After doing nothing for a year, a predator seemed to help clean up this problem. The moral of the story is, if you have two many pests, the predators will find your problem. Pill bugs work the same way. Critters that like to eat pill bugs will be coming along soon. Pill bugs are helpful making compost but sometimes they stray into your garden. Paul feels that if a plant is doing very well, it will be ignored by the pill bug. If the plant is stressed or not doing well, the pill bugs will find it and devour it. Slugs are another common garden pest. Part of what you are trying to do is build and ecosystem and that takes time, sometimes years. When you are building these beds you will build them over the course of several years. The beds built first will me more mature than the ones most recently built. If you have mice and pill bugs, you could always run chickens or pigs over the mound. You could incorporate these into your design.
Next question deals with beds that are more than ten years old.

What are some of the maintenance issues with older beds. Paul built some beds 11 and 10 years ago on a farm he use to work on. He has not been back to that bed in a long time so he can not say how the bed is doing. Paul has not been to Sepp's beds in Austria. Sepp does talk about rebuilding his beds every 30 years. Paul may make a trip to Seattle to see the beds he built ten years ago. He visited the beds four years after they were built they looked beautiful and were full of life but the next owner was ripping out Paul's plants and putting in ornamental flowers. Paul went back two years later and saw magnificent sunchokes and rhubarb and lots ...]]>Paul Wheatonyes340 – Hugelkultur Listener Questions With Cassie – Part 2https://richsoil.com/permaculture/79532-340-hugelkultur-listener-questions-cassie-part-2
Wed, 13 Apr 2016 17:01:47 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=79532<p>Paul continues to lie on his back (secondary to his spinal issues - listen to the previous podcast) and field questions from Cassie about hugelkultur: “What about hugelkultur beds without wood?” First, Paul tells you how you can get a 6’ hugelkultur berm by piling up 3’ and then digging 3’ deep trenches on either […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul continues to lie on his back (secondary to his spinal issues - listen to the previous podcast) and field questions from Cassie about hugelkultur: “What about hugelkultur beds without wood?” First, Paul tells you how you can get a 6’ hugelkultur be...the previous podcast) and field questions from Cassie about hugelkultur:
“What about hugelkultur beds without wood?”

First, Paul tells you how you can get a 6’ hugelkultur berm by piling up 3’ and then digging 3’ deep trenches on either side. You can sort of use the sod as the carbon rich material. Sepp Holzer built hugelkultur beds and when they ran out of wood, he planted a bunch of potatoes to become the underground carbon. At base camp, they have some berms built without wood inside - things don’t grow as well as on the proper hugelkultur berms.
Then Cassie asks about “taking, like, balls of really good soil and planting that in shitty soil.”

Paul says when somebody wonderful like Kelly Ware brings you a 5 gallon bucket of amazing garden soil, you don’t want to sprinkle that all over the place, because the life in the soil will likely die. It’s better to divide the bucket into fewer parts, each at least a good double handful of soil, and then put that gob of good stuff in your hugelkultur (in different spots). The life in the soil is more likely to survive, and it can eventually spread throughout the berm.
“How can you work on a super tall, super steep hugelkultur bed?” (local question - trying to deal with Paul’s 12-15’ tall super narrow steep berms)

If you build a 15’ tall hugelkultur bed, it would be ideal to have the base be 30’ wide, and then you could have a sort of terrace for a path partway up. However, on Paul’s land there just wasn’t enough room, so the berms are very tall and steep. The plan is for a siege ladder (!) O.K., actually maybe the way to go is to alter an orchard ladder by putting a short leg (or a couple of short legs) at the top of the ladder. Then you can lean the ladder up against the berm, and the short legs keep it from crushing everything that’s growing on the berm.
“Do hugelkultur beds make sense in dry climates, or should we leave them to the wet Alps?”

Sepp has made successful hugelkultur berms in very dry land in Spain and Portugal, places that get just 6” of rain a year. He added drip irrigations to half the berms, but things grew on both halves. When the drip irrigation was removed, the plants died on that half. Sepp Holzer made a bunch of hugelkultur berms in Montana (where it gets 20” of rain a year on average) and then there was a terrible dry year. Some of the beds were given drip irrigation. The berms that got no irrigation are the ones in Paul’s video. They had all kinds of food growing on them. The hugelkultur berms do more than just soak up and hold moisture in the soil. Adding the berms changes the effect of the wind, it decreases the desiccation from the wind and if you can really slow down the air, you might even be able to harvest some moisture (some dew).
“What about hugelkultur beds in the suburbs?”

The primary thing that keeps people from building them 6’ tall is the neighbors. First advice - build your tall hugelkultur berms in the back yard. Nobody should be looking at your stuff back there. Second advice - in the front, start with a raised bed, a 2’ tall raised bed. Then, maybe you could sneakily add more soil every year so it gets taller! At 2’ tall, it won't be as amazing and awesome as it would be at 6’ tall, but it will be good. It’s always worth it, to at least build a raised bed. “The idea of having a FLAT garden is just mind boggling to me. I just can't do it anymore!"
This is why Paul likes to be out in the country, with super tall shielding berms. To limit the crazy that comes to his doorstep.
“How do you avoid unwanted fungi bothering nearby fruit trees?”

“I don’t.”

Fungus is everywhere already.]]>Paul Wheatonyes339 – Hugelkultur Listener Questions With Cassie – Part 1https://richsoil.com/permaculture/79506-339-hugelkultur-listener-questions-part-1
Fri, 08 Apr 2016 02:15:21 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=79506<p>Paul and Cassie start off the podcast with the announcement that Cassie is launching the North American version of the Permaculture Magazine. She talks about the content and how it will be geared towards a North American audience, and how most of it will be different from the mother magazine in the UK. They mention […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul and Cassie start off the podcast with the announcement that Cassie is launching the North American version of the Permaculture Magazine. She talks about the content and how it will be geared towards a North American audience,
They then go on to talk about what is going on at Wheaton Lab. They talk about the Ant Village Challenge and how there is only a few spots left. Paul mentions some of the perks that are included for the participants in the challenge and stresses that it turns out to be extremely cheap rent. Paul then mentions about the PRI certified PDC that will be held by Howard Story and Tim Barker at the Lab at the end of May and beginning of June. The PDC will be followed by an appropriate technology course. One of the ants, Evan, is also holding a very inexpensive peasant workshop and festival in October, where many homesteading skills will be taught.
Paul then describes the affliction that he has, and that has caused him not to be able to sit or stand very long for a couple of months. He explains how ice cream sammiches (yes sammiches) have been helping him recover...
They then talk about Ernie and Erica Wisner's upcoming book on rocket mass heaters and how they are currently running a kickstarter to fund the book. Paul said that he has read the book, and that it is amazing.
They also give an update on Paul's own rocket mass heater new DVD set, and how it got delayed for many reasons.
They finally get to the main topic of the podcast series, which is forum user's questions on hugelkultur beds.
Relevant ThreadsPermaculture Magazine North America

Rocket Mass Heater Builder's Guide - Kickstarter
Discussion
You can discuss this podcast on this thread at Permies.Get all of the podcasts in convenient, giant zip files ]]>Paul Wheatonyes338 – Summer Overview of Wheaton Labs Part 3https://richsoil.com/permaculture/79050-338-summer-overview-wheaton-labs-part-3
Thu, 17 Dec 2015 17:20:24 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=79050<p>In part 3, Paul, Jocelyn, Evan and Fred conclude the review of this year’s aestival adventures at Wheaton Laboratories. Here’s what happened in summer, 2015: Wofati 0.8 received an attractive facing upgrade by Jesse Grimes. Internal partitions were reduced for improved lighting and circulation. Free Cycles is donating 10 of their finest mounts as well […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>In part 3, Paul, Jocelyn, Evan and Fred conclude the review of this year’s aestival adventures at Wheaton Laboratories. Here’s what happened in summer, 2015: Wofati 0.8 received an attractive facing upgrade by Jesse Grimes.Evan and Fred conclude the review of this year’s aestival adventures at Wheaton Laboratories. Here’s what happened in summer, 2015:Wofati 0.8 received an attractive facing upgrade by Jesse Grimes. Internal partitions were reduced for improved lighting and circulation.Free Cycles is donating 10 of their finest mounts as well as a nearby repair shop and tools to Wheaton Labs.
Despite a dry summer, minimal irrigation, and delayed planting, last year’s perennials and some of this year’s plantings yielded a harvest of potatoes, squash, daikon greens and roots and kale. Fred has been adding daikon to his kimchi fermentation and pickles it for nori rolls. Other challenges include late establishment of paddocks in early June, as well as deer and turkey pressure. Deer consume more heavily, but are fewer and less frequent visitors. Turkeys, though lighter consumers, arrive in flocks as often as twice an hour, according to Paul. Additionally, Turkeys perching on hugelkultur beds prefer to slide down their surfaces rather than employ their wings, dislodging seeds and soil that might otherwise have been fruitful. Their influence was particularly destructive prior to mulching time in early July when the ground was left uncovered to acquire sufficient warmth before application of mulch, which both insulates and protects the soil. One paddock was finished with tall fencing and has proved much less vulnerable to Turkey infestation. Turkeys have also been injuring themselves, sometimes fatally, upon impact with power lines and fences atop burms. There were jests regarding the use of palisades to harvest wayward turkeys passively. While fencing dissuades deer and turkeys, a perfusion of chipmunks and the occasional rabbit are still able to eat freely from many hugel beds. Once sand piles have been used up, perhaps a cat will be introduced. Paul notes that, given time, predators of such animals will be attracted by their growing numbers and thereby naturally help prevent their overpopulation.
To ensure year-round availability of maple syrup and apples, Paul is preparing to order sweet sap silver maples and “winter-keepers” apple seedlings from Saint Lawrence Nurseries. Paul prefers to grow fruit trees from seed, but plans to plant an initial generation of grafted seedlings that exclusively produce apples that store well over winter. This will increase the probability that successive generations of trees grown from the seeds of this 1st generation of seedlings will bear apples sharing similar winter-keeper traits. He also wishes to plant yellow transparent apple trees as they yield a July harvest of apples to be eaten fresh.
Fred’s living fence project near basecamp is mulched and ready for planting, but was delayed due to temporary unavailability of certain component species. All members of such a living barrier should be planted together so as to properly integrate each into the desired ecological and structural network. Seeds are expected to become available in March.
This October’s rocket mass heaterInnovators' Event saw the completion of 3 units appropriate for use in tiny houses.]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:14:32337 – Summer Overview of Wheaton Labs Part 2https://richsoil.com/permaculture/79043-337-summer-overview-of-wheaton-labs-part-2
Wed, 16 Dec 2015 23:08:55 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=79043<p>Paul, Jocelyn, Evan the ant and Fred the gapper keep talking of on what was been going on at Wheaton Labs this summer. They speak of the food they ate from the gardens at the labs. The largest harvest they got was of Sunchokes. The sunchokes had some issues with digestion but all agree they […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul, Jocelyn, Evan the ant and Fred the gapper keep talking of on what was been going on at Wheaton Labs this summer. They speak of the food they ate from the gardens at the labs. The largest harvest they got was of Sunchokes.Evan the ant and Fred the gapper keep talking of on what was been going on at Wheaton Labs this summer.
They speak of the food they ate from the gardens at the labs. The largest harvest they got was of Sunchokes. The sunchokes had some issues with digestion but all agree they will try some more ways of cooking them. The nice thing of the sunchokes is that some grew from last year’s plants that seemed dead after a really hot season, but instead they grew back. Those plants adapted to the land.
Paul tries to focus on the projects that were undertaken during the free PDC, or even just before while prepping for it. The RMH in the house was filled with the gravel and now works fine. Another project Paul had suggested was to build a swale down from the willow bank and the showers, and on the downhill some willows could have been planted. This project was not implemented.
One big problem has been the berm shed down at the house. The berm shed is a 100 feet long and 10 wide, not a Wofati but similar. Paul is a bit annoyed for the fact that the person that started the project had said it would take only four days to build instead it’s still there to be finished. Paul puts it clearly saying the berm shed has become a pain in the ass.
Two problems came up with this project one was a design flaw that is on Paul, focusing on the weight distribution, the second problem was related to the work load gathering the wood. All the logs had to be imported from the labs. The project though has proved to be significant, costing only for now 93 dollars in material, that is really very little for such a big structure. The important will be when building a new one up at the labs to collect all the logs, and have them ready. This way it could really take only four days to build.
Paul asks Evan and Fred how Allerton Abbey is working after the work that has been done on its structure. Wofati 0.7 is Allerton Abbey and Jesse the ant worked on one of the walls that were rebuilt as a strawbale wall. Now the whole structure is nearly airtight, Evan says maybe only through door some air still flows through. A few changes were made at the RMH of Wofati 0.7 it is not anymore mass heater but just a rocket heater. There were issues with mass heating so during the innovators event the RMH was modified as a rocket heater with a double barrel as heater instead of one.Paul says the real test for the Wofati will be next year, but already this winter Evan says they will run some tests for ten day to collect data, and see how the temperature is doing inside.
Another big project Evan the ant followed in person was the junk pole fence. Paul explains that anyone that has a forest that may have a thick growth of small threes all close together, that may die or be a forest fire fuel. Instead of doing what almost everyone does, cut and burn after some time all the cut trees, Paul decided to use the junk poles for a fence. And Evan built the fence that fences nearly an acre using one quarter of junk poles, pulling down costs. They discuss the importance of the structure, having used at base camp a distance between posts of twenty feet,]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:04:39336 – Summer Overview of Wheaton Labs Part 1https://richsoil.com/permaculture/78989-336-summer-overview-of-wheaton-labs-part-1
Tue, 15 Dec 2015 03:42:44 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=78989<p>Part one of a three part podcast. Paul is joined by Jocelyn, Evan the ant and Fred the gapper. Over the summer Jack Spirko asked Paul to do a once a week update on what was going on at Wheaton Labs. Paul kept good notes and all the folks present have been at the lab […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Part one of a three part podcast. Paul is joined by Jocelyn, Evan the ant and Fred the gapper. Over the summer Jack Spirko asked Paul to do a once a week update on what was going on at Wheaton Labs. Paul kept good notes and all the folks present have b...Evan the ant and Fred the gapper. Over the summer Jack Spirko asked Paul to do a once a week update on what was going on at Wheaton Labs. Paul kept good notes and all the folks present have been at the lab since April/May. Paul says that there are four spots left in the ant village and several people have said that they are sending their money to be part of the ant program. This podcast will contain all the updates that Paul would provide as part of Jacks expert council. Paul went out to test the hot water on the shower shack . Currently, Paul reports that there is not hot water yet. The tubing did need to be turned and readjusted. A person added a road kill racoon to the compost pile. Adding the racoon to the pile did not help the compost. As the pile cooled the racoon did not compost properly. When they opened the pile up the smell was horrible and very messy. Through the summer the showers never got scalding hot. The summer before, the pile did make hot scalding water. This pile only got warm and only made the water luke warm. When the pile gets rebuilt this year, Paul thinks it needs to be redone and rebuilt. Moving the location of the pile may also be in order. Some of the untreated wood has developed some mold. During the PDC people preferred to use the larger of the showers. The larger shower might help with the mold and dry out quicker.
Next was the skiddable shed. Willow Candy Warehouse collects material that comes out of your butt and aged for two years and then this is fed to a willow tree. There are two of these now. Paul is happy with the final product. It is doing its job and working great. Evan worked on this and it was his first experience with shaked roofs.
Planting seeds. Fred planted a ton of seeds in June. June is supposed to be the wet month. Most of the seeds germinated but the rain never came. Because of the dryness, there was lots of dust. All those seeds got two inches tall and then died. Some seeds did survive. There were some showers in July and they did do some watering with a fire truck. Once the hugelkultur gets started they hope to not have to water. With the hugel collecting water over the winter next season should be easier.
The new dump trailer needs a new hydraulic ram. There is a problem with the fittings. Because of this, the trailer is not getting much use. Paul is considering renting a new dozer. Paul paid the money in May but he has yet to see the dozer. Volcano road has been constructed by Evan. Base camp is about 20 acres. Three acres could be used before the road was built, now there is better access to the rest of the property. It took Evan a few weeks to construct this road. Paul rented a little excavator to help build the road. Being tired of equipment breaking down, Paul rented a newer machine. The people Paul rented from took advantage of him. Paul's advice is that if you rent, rent from a group of people who are reputable. The road has four parts. Submarine section is the part that Paul built with Rex. The Turkey leg got built next. This is where the turkeys like to roost and hang out. Evan was amazed at how they fly and how many turkeys there were.]]>Paul Wheatonyes56:45335 – What to Expect When Visiting Wheaton Labs Part 2https://richsoil.com/permaculture/78987-335-what-to-expect-when-visiting-wheaton-labs-part-2
Tue, 15 Dec 2015 00:22:42 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=78987<p>In part 2, Paul continues his conversation with gapper Fred Tyler. Paul discusses issues he has had with people who want to socialize more than actually get any work done. Paul talks briefly about his weight and work ethic, in response to a comment made by a troll on Reddit. (see part 1, podcast 334) […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>In part 2, Paul continues his conversation with gapper Fred Tyler. Paul discusses issues he has had with people who want to socialize more than actually get any work done. Paul talks briefly about his weight and work ethic,Fred Tyler. Paul discusses issues he has had with people who want to socialize more than actually get any work done. Paul talks briefly about his weight and work ethic, in response to a comment made by a troll on Reddit. (see part 1, podcast 334) Another Redditor commented that Wheaton Labs doesn't even sell produce, and therefore cannot be called a farm. Paul clarifies: Wheaton Labs is not a farm, it is a place to garden gardeners, a place for permaculturists to be and to create permaculture.
Paul and Fred discuss a past gapper who failed to meet the minimum effort expected of a gapper. They talk about the ant village as a way people can free themselves from the rat race. Paul reflects on how people tend to call him a tyrant, noting that tyranny is subjective and relative. Paul admits he is tyrannical, or is he perhaps a rational person? The answer may depend on your set of values. Permies.com is not so much censorship as it is quality controlled.
Paul recounts an interaction he had with 'supergirl', a self proclaimed expert, and assertions she made about what she calls 'physics'. Paul explains how a rocket mass heater outperforms a conventional wood burning stove, and describes how stove testing facilities can rig a test to make a stove seem more efficient.
Paul mentions a few of his principals, things he will not compromise on, like bringing toxins onto the property. He would prefer to have folks with similar values be involved with Wheaton Labs, people who have listened to and understand the content in the podcasts, rather than try to change someone with a contrasting set of values. Paul wants to make his standards clear and communicate his opinions, even if his popularity suffers. He takes a moment to thank people for sending him kind and encouraging emails, although he sometimes has an easier time responding to argumentative messages.
Relevant Threadsvisiting the labs

Podcast 334 - What to Expect When Visiting the Labs Part 1
Credit: Annie Klinsky
You can discuss this podcast on this thread at Permies.Get all of the podcasts in convenient, giant zip files ]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:06:11334 – What to Expect When Visiting Wheaton Labs Part 1https://richsoil.com/permaculture/78985-334-what-to-expect-when-visiting-wheaton-labs-part-1
Mon, 14 Dec 2015 23:48:09 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=78985<p>In this podcast, Paul sits down with Fred Tyler, a gapper of 6 months in the gapper 2.0 program. Paul's goal is to give a clear picture of what it is like to be a gapper or ant, in order to make sure people know what they are getting into. A more detailed update of […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>In this podcast, Paul sits down with Fred Tyler, a gapper of 6 months in the gapper 2.0 program. Paul's goal is to give a clear picture of what it is like to be a gapper or ant, in order to make sure people know what they are getting into.Fred Tyler, a gapper of 6 months in the gapper 2.0 program. Paul's goal is to give a clear picture of what it is like to be a gapper or ant, in order to make sure people know what they are getting into. A more detailed update of the Labs' developments and the ant village will be in part 2.
Paul begins by describing "Wheaton's Law of Reflective Douchebaggery", in which he points out that if you think someone is a douchebag, your world views are so totally different that the feeling is probably mutual. This applies especially to him personally.
Paul then reads an essay about how the words "science" and "engineering" have been co-opted by liars - how saying "this is proved by science" is used as a way of convincing people their word is fact. In addition, the scientific process itself has become suspicious because of shady funding practices. Fred can't prove him wrong.
Next, Paul makes clear that he will be a "jerk" to anyone trying to freeload on a paid permaculture event. Taking part in an event/food/class you have not paid for is unfair to those who have paid and to the organizers. So don't try it at any of Paul's events, and wear your name tag!
Finally Paul reflects on the strangeness of Reddit, the "man-cave of the internet", mentioning that when someone asked for gapper testimonies, and the most upvoted replies were from trollish speculation from people who had never been gappers.
Relevant Threadspaul's psychosis at workshops

visiting the labs
Credit: Lina Bird
You can discuss this podcast on this thread at Permies.Get all of the podcasts in convenient, giant zip files ]]>Paul Wheatonyes49:07333 – Maddy Harland on Most Recent Issue of Permaculture Magazine Part 2https://richsoil.com/permaculture/78791-333-maddy-harland-on-most-recent-issue-of-permaculture-magazine-part-2
Fri, 13 Nov 2015 22:23:34 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=78791<p>Maddy Harland opens with a discussion on crop protection. Stephanie Hafferty work with Charles Dowding and his methods for no dig gardening. His core income is from gardening and selling salad to local restaurants. The article shares some of the real secrets of how to grow in raised bed systems and minimize pest damage without […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Maddy Harland opens with a discussion on crop protection. Stephanie Hafferty work with Charles Dowding and his methods for no dig gardening. His core income is from gardening and selling salad to local restaurants.crop protection. Stephanie Hafferty work with Charles Dowding and his methods for no dig gardening. His core income is from gardening and selling salad to local restaurants. The article shares some of the real secrets of how to grow in raised bed systems and minimize pest damage without any chemicals. The back story is that this system can be replicated where people want good organic food. Paul has some good notes and he feels like the article was written just for him. Maddy is trying to enthuse people with the magazine article.
Paul liked the rocket stove hotub. Maddy agreed that this article was right up Paul's alley. Paul admitted that he is just not a huge fan of hot tubs or hot springs. Paul explains how he just finished his Rocket Mass Heater Innovator's Event. Paul wants to start a new blog where he gives feedback on each article in the Permaculture Magazine. Paul makes a few constructive comments on how to improve the design of the rocket stove hot tub. Maddy explains that there is some better technology out there to make the design better but the folks who wrote the article are not hard core rocket stove designers.
Next a review of natural swimming pools is discussed. Paul has lots of comments but overall liked the article. Maddy explains how David and Ben worked together on the design. Paul mentions the Joe Salatin statement that anything worth doing is worth doing wrong first. Paul was excited that anyone who tries to improve things is advancing our ideas. Maddy agrees that by refining designs there is always room for improvement. Paul loved how much detail there was in the documentation. Paul suggests using a J tube design and more riser would help out too.
At the Innovators event, they tried several designs. A Wheaton Labs they were able to get a redwood tub but ran out of time trying to get the tub to hold water. Paul has banned the pocket rocket because they lose metal during the burn. Erica Wisner has come up with a ceramic design that can be submersed and used to heat the water. Maddy and Paul compliment Erica on how clever she is.
Next Paul discusses John Di Lu's article and his travels through China. Paul is looking at a picture of a road through the desert with greenways on either side. Maddy discusses some details on how the Chinese accomplished the project. The greenway was built to keep the paved road from melting during the hottest times of the year. Some temperatures reached 158 F with no greenway but once the greenway was built and the plants were established the temperature was closer to 77 F in the greenway. The ecosystem also allowed animals to start returning to the area as well. In some areas there was a 113 F temperature differential. Where the plant ecosystems grew then came the insects and animals.
Maddy was excited because this shows that we can repair the planet with regenerative ecosystems once we educate the policy makers and decision makers. Paul and Maddy agree that once the three main species start to do their work, cooling things down, now other plants can be introduced that are a little less heat tolerant. Maddy points out that one of the three pioneer species is a valuable starch that can be sold and the money used to help pay for maintenance of the greenway.]]>Paul Wheatonyes54:11332 – Maddy Harland on Most Recent Issue Of Permaculture Magazinehttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/78773-332-maddy-harland-on-most-recent-issue-of-permaculture-magazine
Thu, 12 Nov 2015 01:09:18 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=78773<p>Part one of a two-part podcast with Maddy Harland. Paul sits down with her to discuss issue 86 of Permaculture magazine. Right away, they discuss how it should be fresh on the shelves in the US at the time this podcast is released. Paul considers this issue one of his favorites. Three things make him […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Part one of a two-part podcast with Maddy Harland. Paul sits down with her to discuss issue 86 of Permaculture magazine. Right away, they discuss how it should be fresh on the shelves in the US at the time this podcast is released.Maddy Harland. Paul sits down with her to discuss issue 86 of Permaculture magazine. Right away, they discuss how it should be fresh on the shelves in the US at the time this podcast is released.
Paul considers this issue one of his favorites. Three things make him feel this way. First was an advertisement that caught his eye. It was for a permaculture venue that had a number of things he thought every such venue should have. It turned out to be Maddy's property, The Sustainability Centre. They talk briefly about the fact that some have been born there and that there is a natural burial area on the property. A previous podcast is referenced regarding the burial area.
Paul likes that the location can facilitate people in multiple ways. He wishes he had the cafe option himself. Maddy talks briefly about the cafe and how it works. The nature of how its cycles are formed is discussed.
Maddy talks about the history of the property and the amount of effort that went into improving the site and bringing it to a point of usability. Much of what was done on the site has been done without the aid of outside entities. Mention is made that it includes residential sites and is charge-free to come to the site. Much of what is wanted with the site is to inspire understanding through direct interaction with the aspects rather than lectures and chalkboards.
Paul would love to have a situation where multiple properties of this sort were within close proximity. He is pleased with the number of people who are able to come to Maddy's property. More discussion of the history of the property is briefly mentioned. She mentions how she would like to come to a point similar to the Occidental Arts and Ecology Center. Mention is made of a number of the aspects she found most impressive. Paul mentions some of the difficulties he has found in his own property. One, in particular, is the cost of cleaning up after people. He admits that those who come are in all sorts of different places in their permaculture walk.
The two discuss some of the things that Maddy has done in relation to multiple conferences. She corrects that she was not technically behind the Convergence. Paul asks about the number of people there and she talks briefly about the event. She references her editorial and how there were people from 70 countries. Paul believes that 980 people may be the largest permaculture gathering to date, but Maddy can't say for certain. She does know that they weren't all there at the same time though the numbers were always over 500 at any given moment.
Maddy notes that if you put in IPC 2015 in YouTube, it will pull up some of the videos from the event. Paul notes how much effort goes into making and releasing the videos from events. Maddy talks about some of the future projects she is working on with others, including a peer review journal. Paul notes there are schools of thought that try to shoot others down with 'that's impossible' statements. He is pleased with the idea of a branch of science that focus's on solutions instead of claiming impossibilities. Maddy notes that science isn't subjective but is instead a set of shared values that has a level of subjectivity. If it was entirely subjective, it wouldn't change.
The third thing that caught Paul's attention was a new book by yes49:19331 – Hugelkultur, Water Systems, and Land Texture with Erica Houck Part 2https://richsoil.com/permaculture/78622-331-hugelkultur-water-systems-and-land-texture-with-erica-houck-part-2
Fri, 02 Oct 2015 21:11:21 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=78622<p>Part of a set of podcasts where Paul and Jocelyn are in Oregon. They've been discussing a number of things with Erica Houck and are now addressing a number of questions. Part two begins with a discussion of a huckleberry pie that went missing in Paul's presence. After a confession, the conversation shifts to nettles […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Part of a set of podcasts where Paul and Jocelyn are in Oregon. They've been discussing a number of things with Erica Houck and are now addressing a number of questions. Part two begins with a discussion of a huckleberry pie that went missing in Paul's...podcasts where Paul and Jocelyn are in Oregon. They've been discussing a number of things with Erica Houck and are now addressing a number of questions. Part two begins with a discussion of a huckleberry pie that went missing in Paul's presence. After a confession, the conversation shifts to nettles and the eating of the same. Under cooking is noted as a problem. Wilting them is not enough to remove the sting. Paul notes that 30 seconds is the minimum for removing the sting.
Paul notes frustration at morel hunting. Erica admits to other problems with the hunting of morels. Conversation moves towards the matter of fishing and the mercury issue. Paul talks about the fish in a very isolated location being highly contaminated. He also tells a story of problems suffered while young and visiting the location. At one point in the story two unexpected visitors arrive.
The conversation meanders into a discussion of the high level of water locally in Oregon. There was a problem with over-harvesting of the water due to a Walmart bottling facility. There is a short shift over to touch on quack-grass and how it serves only as chop and drop. Taking away the sunlight from the quack grass is the only real option. Rhubarb was used in one location several feet wide in one location to shade it out. Certain styles of hugel beds work to remove a large amount of the quack-grass.
The property has a limited slope. There is also a visible line where the natural trees will and won't grow. A case of having a bit of land converted back into natural swamp is discussed. This leads to some talk of how to design hugel beds to avoid problems with odd water situations. Suggestions are tossed around about how to resolve the issue with wet areas.
More talk moves along the lines of swamps and the modes some people have used to convert the land into more traditional field flats. Erica talks about what they did with the property to help restore it to a more natural state. The discussion remains on the topic for some time. Among this is discussion of cattle and tree systems. How changing the texture of the landscape and how trees affect the local weather patterns is discussed. More is discussed about how to create hugel mounds that make the most use of the high water table. There is a mention of peat bogs before moving to the next topic.Brush piles are important to permaculture and are discussed. Quail are discussed several times within this conversation. Erica believes that they are helpful in preventing certain insect problems. They then move on to talking about the feral cats on the property. When the cats were gone, voles became a major problem thereafter.
The last part of the list of things to address involves fresh corn. Using plastic, they managed to get corn to grow very well, but it froze right before the time to pick it. Climate shift locally is mentioned and short season corns are focused on. Difficulties with corn polyculture are mentioned. Methods of extending the season are also discussed. The discussion ends with a visit from one of the local cats.
Relevant Threadsyes58:21330 – Community, Ponds, and Quack Grass with Erica Houck Part 1https://richsoil.com/permaculture/78577-330-community-ponds-and-quack-grass-with-erica-houck-part-1
Wed, 23 Sep 2015 16:03:04 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=78577<p>A feline named Henry joins Paul for this interview. Paul and Jocelyn go to Erica's after a funeral for his aunt Donna Lee, near Enterprise Oregon. She took Paul in when he was 16. His Aunt was from Joseph, Oregon and Paul graduated high school near the area too. Paul's Grandfather was a tour guide […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>A feline named Henry joins Paul for this interview. Paul and Jocelyn go to Erica's after a funeral for his aunt Donna Lee, near Enterprise Oregon. She took Paul in when he was 16. His Aunt was from Joseph, Oregon and Paul graduated high school near the...Oregon. She took Paul in when he was 16. His Aunt was from Joseph, Oregon and Paul graduated high school near the area too. Paul's Grandfather was a tour guide in the area, and growing up Paul did lots of camping. Paul went to LaGrande high school. Paul talks about how he feels about losing his Aunt. Jocelyn’s Grandmother also recently passed away, she was 99. Paul spotted a Kickstarter starter which was from Joseph, to fix up a hotel/warehouse and Paul decided after supporting the Kickstarter, that he would try staying there. Erica Houck and her parents own an artisan chocolate business. Paul reflects on all the places he grew up as a young person. Paul thought that Joseph was an ugly town when he was younger, but it is so much nicer these days. Paul recalls the Chief Joseph days. The dialect of the locals is one of a southern drawl. When the railroad came through Joseph, Oregon the people were from the South and they remained after the construction was completed. Joseph is now a funky, artsie kind of town. The city is chock full of bronze sculptures. Erica was worried that the town might be a little too purple for Paul.
Paul thinks that many of these old towns are evolving into permaculture communities. Paul thinks that someday Detroit might become a great permaculture community. Paul hypothesizes how Joseph has evolved into the town it is today. Jocelyn seems to think that make of the people within the town is a 30/30/30 % made up of three primary groups. Paul thinks that as property got cheaper, new people came to Joseph and they saw what Joseph could become. Growing up Paul remembers how yuppies were all around him in Portland and they dressed in boring khakis. Although Paul admits there is a video of him holding hands doing the purple thing. Paul talks about how towns go through transitions. Jocelyn thinks that the art helped turn the town around. When Paul was in Eugene there was a whole crew of hippie cool people, but then the yuppies moved in there. Now Eugene is hippie-lite. Erica says that now Portland is being infiltrated by yuppies too. Erica mentions how she was home schooled and Paul talks about Gilligan’s Island the TV show. Paul talks about how he met Erica at the family chocolate shop and Jocelyn explains how Paul's cousins are close to Joseph. Paul talks about how no one in his family really knows what he does. Paul did put his Aunt on one of the permaculture cards as a tribute to her. Joseph is a small town and everyone knows everyone. Paul makes the observation that it is utopia-like because it is such a small community. Erica loves how Joseph is tight knit. Erica talks about where she grew up and it was not so tight knit and how the idea of community was lacking there. In Erica’s old town people argued a lot. Paul has seen both types of small community. Paul loves how Joseph has evolved. Jocelyn talks about how the hotel is being reconstructed and how nice it looks. Each room is planned to be done by different artists. Paul is amazed at how the area has changed from a place he did not like so much to a place he really likes now.
Paul wants to talk about the land Erica and her Mom own. Paul walked the site and has some things he wants to share about Erica’s garden. Erica wants to talk about the ponds she built. Paul noticed the scum in the pond.]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:05:30329 – Questions From Jet Packer Davin Hoyt Part 3https://richsoil.com/permaculture/78537-329-questions-from-jet-packer-davin-hoyt-part-3
Fri, 04 Sep 2015 15:46:45 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=78537<p>Podcast 3 The third of three podcasts where Paul and Jocelyn sit down with Davin Hoyt, who has watched every single podcast. It starts immediately with Paul asking the question of where do we get our organic food. Paul and Jocelyn explain where they go in Missoula, listing multiple locations that includes a 'small world' […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Podcast 3 The third of three podcasts where Paul and Jocelyn sit down with Davin Hoyt, who has watched every single podcast. It starts immediately with Paul asking the question of where do we get our organic food.
The third of three podcasts where Paul and Jocelyn sit down with Davin Hoyt, who has watched every single podcast. It starts immediately with Paul asking the question of where do we get our organic food. Paul and Jocelyn explain where they go in Missoula, listing multiple locations that includes a 'small world' story regarding a pork purchase. There is mention of Whole Foods seeming to be lower on average than the price of other organic stores.
The conversation shifts to persistent broad-leaf herbicides in fields. The amount of the herbicides that remain in the systems for extended periods are a real problem. It seems that non-organic eaters may contribute to problems with the composted humanure.
There is talk about why animal systems aren't in place yet at Wheaton Labs before the conversation moves on to another question. The status of Paul's tools is the focus. Paul wishes to work towards a point where his own tools are unused because others have their own. There is a bit of frustration about the fact that tools get broken, but are not repaired by those who were using them. There is a question of if the person would use things more carefully if they had paid for the tools themselves. They talk a bit about former theft and an issue with an unlocked shop door. Key holding is limited and discussion focus' on this for now.
Issues with trespassing on private property that used to be public are discussed. Castle law is brought up as a reason why trespassing seems foolish to Paul. Awkward moments of dealing with trespassers seemed to be more common in the first year. This returns to the issue of keeping things locked.
The status of the lemon tree site is questioned. The layout uses a double sun-scoop, but the lemon tree itself won't be planted until other projects are dealt with. Project prioritization and organization gets discussed at length. June rain issues play into this conversation as well, regarding one of the gardens. Hugelkulture problems involving rabbits and chipmunks have become an issue. Waiting on predators is the current solution.
The road from the base camp to the lab is brought up. Davin was expecting a footpath, but instead there is a county road. The last bit is gravel road. It can be driven or walked, but Paul is pleased with the number of bicycles that travel the road. Paul's list concludes here and Davin's own list begins.
The quality of skin complexion on the lab impressed Davin and he was curious about what might be behind it. Vitamins, diet and 'pooless' were pointed to as major factors. Jocelyn explains her history and how her skin was both before and after adapting how they handled diet and cleaning. Soaps strip oils and she notes a possible overcompensation by the body.
Davin noticed the knives are in a jar of rice and is curious about why that is. An explanation is offered by Jocelyn about how Tony had been spending a lot of time properly sharpening them. Without a knife block, that was the solution for how to keep them from dulling. Davin moves on to the flat spatula on cast iron concept. Paul mentions that there are some that look flat, but are actually curved, then restates his view of what is best. He also mentions a link to a very good one in the yes1:18:23328 – Questions from Jet Packer Davin Hoyt Part 2https://richsoil.com/permaculture/78532-328-questions-from-jet-packer-davin-hoyt-part-2
Wed, 02 Sep 2015 21:14:28 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=78532<p>Davin Hoyt Continues to ask Paul questions because he has listened to every single podcast. Thermal inertia and moisture barrier. What is a wing wall? A wall that retains the soil against the exterior wall from the corner of the wofati. This is a retaining wall based on elevation change. This transitions from the side […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Davin Hoyt Continues to ask Paul questions because he has listened to every single podcast. Thermal inertia and moisture barrier. What is a wing wall? A wall that retains the soil against the exterior wall from the corner of the wofati.
Thermal inertia and moisture barrier. What is a wing wall?
A wall that retains the soil against the exterior wall from the corner of the wofati. This is a retaining wall based on elevation change. This transitions from the side elevation to the top. Looking from above, the wing wall can rotate due east or west. The more up and down it is the larger your mass is and the more earth integrated the WOFATI will be. Paul likes the aesthetic of this. It makes it look almost invisible. Paul likes this type of beauty. He feels your walls and roof are decorated with life.
How much light is there in a WOFATI? Paul removed some of the interior walls which allowed lots of light into the WOFATI. Jesse added some interior walls to cover to moisture barrier. On cloudy days there is still plenty of light. Paul explains that the walls have not been painted white yet. Paul feels that you could cover the wing walls in cob and use mica in the cob making the wing wall reflect more light still. In WOFATI 0.8 the walls are pretty straight but they are wide and announce the location of the WOFATI.
A discussion of WOFATI 0.7 versus 0.8 with regards to the wing walls. Paul things that the more open the wall the better the thermal inertia will be. It is important to keep the wood dry. Mike Oehler puts his posts in trash bags, but some water did get in and now it's causing the wood to need more reinforcement. Where are moisture barriers placed? On the outside of the wooden box. Subsoil goes on top of the box after the plastic goes down. There are two moisture barriers. The thermal mass must stay dry. The core temperature twenty feet down is about 45 degrees. Oehler's structure has lots of water passing by.
A discussion of Mike Reynolds' earth ship was discussed. Earth integrated structures and how Paul and Mike Oehler talk often. Underground houses and Paul's dislike for that word comes up. Outside each layer cob should be laid down. Smooth surfaces drain better. When you are done the cob will help close off the logs. Closing these areas helps keep the critters out too. The difference between green wood versus dry wood is discussed. Green wood is also a lot heavier. The current barrier is used billboards that were heading for the dump.

Paul thought that adding a second wall would improve things. But first they would disable the RMH. Bottom line is that the RMH has not worked well yet. Re-routing the RMH may improve it. Alena abbey was discussed. Paul talks about some of his ideas on the use of multiple walls versus a single proper wall. The idea was that two mediocre walls that are sealed will be better than one really good wall.
Next up, the group discusses labels and how Paul needs pod people to send him blue tape for labeling things. He knows it's trivial but the tape costs money and he needs more. He's embarrassed at how obsessed he is.
The group discusses the double wide "farmhouse". Paul explains his theory on why he doesn't like calling the property a farm because that would imply a monoculture. There are lots of things growing on the property now; squash, melons and lots more are starting to come up. The shop and auditorium are the same structure. There is also a wood shop which is a separate building.]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:08:25327 – Questions From Jet Packer Davin Hoyt Part 1https://richsoil.com/permaculture/78523-327-questions-from-jet-packer-davin-hoyt-part-1
Thu, 27 Aug 2015 21:13:19 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=78523<p>Paul sits down with Davin Hoyt who has listened to every single one of the podcasts. He mentions how if anyone listens to all the podcasts, they can make a list of questions (that cover stuff not in the previous podcasts), and he will sit down with you and answer those questions in a new […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul sits down with Davin Hoyt who has listened to every single one of the podcasts. He mentions how if anyone listens to all the podcasts, they can make a list of questions (that cover stuff not in the previous podcasts),podcasts. He mentions how if anyone listens to all the podcasts, they can make a list of questions (that cover stuff not in the previous podcasts), and he will sit down with you and answer those questions in a new podcast.
Paul starts out by talking about the wheelie bin poopers and the evolution of their titles. He says that the title he prefers right now is “The Willow Bank”. This comes from the idea that the soil that comes from the poop from the pooper will feed willows or cottonwoods. Paul get into how the stuff coming out of your butt isn’t waste, and how we need to optimize systems to re-use it.
Jocelyn chimes in by noting that the poopers are not outhouses and they’re not composting toilets, just for any of the pod people who weren’t aware of that. The poop goes into a bin and the bin is closed for 2 years. It then gets opened and that soil will be put at the bottom of willow tree.
They continue to talk much more about the poopers they have at the labs and how they’ve evolved, and how they all think they could be improved. Then they move into talking about the pee palace and how to optimize it for women.
Next they get into Davin’s questions. His first one was: Where do gappers stay? The answer is essentially: one of the many different locations at the lab and base camp. Sometimes there will be gappers that come to help the ants at ant village, and there are gobs of places to pitch a tent there. Then they move into talking about money and the fees associated with that.
In the last part of this first section, Davin asks about Wofati Stuff. Even though there was lots of talk about them, there were still things he didn’t understand. His first question is about annualized thermal inertia. Specifically, about the placement of the masses that give off the temperatures that allow for thermal inertia. They talk about Allerton Abbey (the first wofati) and the large masses on the left and right, behind the wing walls. Paul discusses how to test how well the thermal inertia works. Lastly, they talk about Mike Oehler and all of his philosophies and the deal with visiting him.
Relevant ThreadsThe Earth Sheltered Solar Greenhouse by Mike Oelher

More Compost Toilets
You can discuss this podcast on this thread at Permies.Get all of the podcasts in c...]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:04:50326 – Questions From Morgan Bowen; Trees; the PDC at Wheaton Labs; the Ant Villagehttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/78404-podcast-326-questions-from-morgan-bowen-trees-the-pdc-at-wheaton-labs-the-ant-village
Mon, 13 Jul 2015 17:17:16 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=78404<p>Paul sits down with Morgan Bowen. Morgan (the man who peed on a mountain lion) has listened to all of the podcasts Paul has produced, mainly while soaking in the tub. As they reminisce about the mountain lion, they go over what animals are in the area, concluding none would harm adult humans. Since Morgan […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul sits down with Morgan Bowen. Morgan (the man who peed on a mountain lion) has listened to all of the podcasts Paul has produced, mainly while soaking in the tub. As they reminisce about the mountain lion,podcasts Paul has produced, mainly while soaking in the tub. As they reminisce about the mountain lion, they go over what animals are in the area, concluding none would harm adult humans.
Since Morgan has listened to all of the podcast he is able to sit down with Paul and ask him questions. Morgan's first question focuses on what kind of trees could replace conifers. Paul explains that in his view dividing it all up into chunks and planting a diverse mix of what your passionate about, as well as a few things that considered impossible to grow in your area.
Morgan then asks about what exceptions there may be to not planting trees from seeds. Paul gives an example of building swales to divert waste to a swale planted with willow and cottonwood trees. Paul is pretty sure they don't have taproots and transplant very well, so don't need to be started from seed. Another exception is to buy a certain species of apple that you want, plant that tree and then collect the seeds to plant others. There is also a maple tree called Sweet Sap Silver maple, which has a much higher sugar content and you can tap the tree much faster (9 years as opposed to 30) and may be hard to find from seed since it is a rare tree.
Paul brings up the importance of artisans of seed and soil, and how in an ideal permaculture system where you have almost no need for money, you're able to experiment with planting and put in what you're passionate about or think is fun.
Morgan asks Paul to explain ant village and Paul goes over it for Morgan's listeners, which leads into talking about Curtis Stone's methods of growing food intensively on a small plot. They go over what is possible and Paul gives some insight into the ant village challenge, and how the ants will be able to accomplish many different things given the variety in personality.
They move on to talking to about the Permaculture Design Course which happened at Wheaton labs. Morgan gives some insight into what the PDC was like and what it wasn't like, comparing it to other PDC's they know of it.
Paul gives some more tips on planting, emphasizing how starting a small section and making it awesome, and then moving on to another area later on is a great way to go about exploring permaculture. He expresses it's totally fine to make a larger design but not to be married to it.
Morgan and Paul finish off remarking about what is happening now at the labs and basecamp and how it has been an incredible progression.
Credit: Vida Norris
Relevant ThreadsVisiting the Labs

Ant Village
You can discuss this podcast on this thread at Permies.Get all of the podcasts in convenient, giant zip files ]]>Paul Wheatonyes56:11325 – Alone in the Wilderness, the Story of Dick Proenekehttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/78183-325-dick-proeneke
Fri, 22 May 2015 17:50:18 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=78183<p>Paul sits down with Evan, the first Ant in Ant Village. Paul asks Evan some introductory questions about how things have been going on his plot. They start to go over the film, “Alone in the Wilderness, the story of Dick Proeneke. Paul sets out to try and figure out just how long it took […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul sits down with Evan, the first Ant in Ant Village. Paul asks Evan some introductory questions about how things have been going on his plot. They start to go over the film, “Alone in the Wilderness, the story of Dick Proeneke.Evan, the first Ant in Ant Village. Paul asks Evan some introductory questions about how things have been going on his plot.
They start to go over the film, “Alone in the Wilderness, the story of Dick Proeneke. Paul sets out to try and figure out just how long it took Dick to build his cabin.
Paul compares what people are trying to do at ant village, as similar to the motivation Dick had which was to test himself, know if he can really survive a winter and live in the wilderness independently. Paul asks Evan his thoughts on whether that is something which inspired him to start out as an ant, and Evan agrees that ant village is his attempt at living alone in the wilderness. Paul and Evan discuss the changes at Wheaton Labs, and how the gappers have been so far with the new system. They go over the upcoming Super Weeks and free PDC.
Paul and Evan turn the conversation back to the film, trying to understand the order of operations Dick went through in setting up his homestead. Paul goes through the dates in the movie, going over some of the tools and wood Dick used. Paul gives a few highlights of Dick's methods and continues piecing together how long it's taking him to build his cabin.
Paul notices how at one point the film talks about Dick harvesting 48 poles and processing them by noon, which he considered a high achievement. After 24 days, the roof is starting to take shape on his cabin. Paul brings up one of the most remembered parts of the film, the impressive wooden hinges.
They go over some of the details with the roof, explaining how Dick used around 2 acres worth of moss to use as a roof cover. Paul describes the construction of Dick's outhouse, and Dick's uncanny ability to reuse unwanted materials.
Paul describes Dick's antics with a bear, and speculates on the logic behind the sizing of the cabin door. They discuss Dick's wood pile, his methods for cutting firewood. They mention a few more interesting aspects of Dick's homestead life, like the heat sources

of his cabin, hunting and fishing, and the problems Dick has with bugs. Paul asks Evan how the

bug situation is at the lab, and Evan reports so far so good.
Toward the end of the podcast they reach the winter months of the film, and they give a few examples of what Dick does in the winter and spring. Evan brings up that in the movie it's pointed out that Dick Proeneke spent 35 years in the wilderness. Paul highly recommends the film, saying it is one of his top five. They leave the podcast to go over some of Evan's designs for his plot.
Relavent Threads:Survival Tips

Evan's Ant Village Log
Credit:Vida Norris
You can discuss this podcast on this yes52:02324 – The Ant Village Explained Part 2https://richsoil.com/permaculture/78145-324-the-ant-village-explained-part-2
Fri, 15 May 2015 16:02:36 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=78145<p>Paul and Jocelyn continue from part 1 on explaining Ant Village. Paul shares his initial excitement about the concept, and how his previous community project involving gappers ended up steering away from his values. Paul expresses how ant village is much more aligned with where his values are. Paul paints a picture of the future […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul and Jocelyn continue from part 1 on explaining Ant Village. Paul shares his initial excitement about the concept, and how his previous community project involving gappers ended up steering away from his values.part 1 on explaining Ant Village. Paul shares his initial excitement about the concept, and how his previous community project involving gappers ended up steering away from his values. Paul expresses how ant village is much more aligned with where his values are.
Paul paints a picture of the future of ant village, giving a hypothetical scenario featuring several aptly named ants, or deep roots folk which have interconnected services, interests and skills. He explains where fair share comes into play and how it can work or not work. Paul goes through where ant village could end up, with people eventually saving up in such a way they no longer need to work.
Paul and Jocelyn move on to talking about the qualifications for the permaculture land manager position, which would lead the ants and gappers, and help fulfill Paul's projects and goals.
After a brief interlude into some of the previous gapper problems, they move on to details of the Super Weeks and free PDC.
Last but not least Paul goes into the importance of “joy, art, beauty, peace, life, music, hearts, flowers and rainbows,” which he feels they are slowly implementing at Wheaton Labs. Jocelyn brings up Paul's goals of wanting to nurture permaculturists, and “garden gardeners” in a sense, with ant village; which Paul feels strongly is the path for the future of permaculture.
Paul and Jocelyn explore soul building vs. soul draining experiences and the effects of negativity. They go into the ups and downs of venting, and where they are hoping to progress with the current changes.
Paul goes over a few side notes such as:
“Everybody seems normal, until you get to know them”
“If your mouth is saying anything but the simplest response to a question, then you are arrogant.”
“For every person who creates things, there are 20 destroyers, intentional or unintentional.”
Paul gives another example of an intentional community gone wrong, and what the problems were at the root of its downfall.
They finish off with talking about kickstarter and video project potential and Paul's fence design which Evan and Nick completed in one week. Both Paul and Jocelyn express how how the new system is really turning things around for the better so far.
Relevant Threads: Ant Village Explained Part 1

Transition into Ant Village Part 1
Credit: Vida Norris
You can discuss this podcast on this yes1:09:01323 – The Ant Village Explained Part 1https://richsoil.com/permaculture/78138-323-the-ant-village-explained
Wed, 13 May 2015 21:41:33 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=78138<p>It’s official, at wheaton laboratories there’s going to be a free PDC for ants, their gappers and deep roots people. So if someone wants to come an attend the PDC that can show up as gappers and follow the fourteen day PDC, with PRI teacher Howard Story. There’s a whole thread on this on Wheaton […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>It’s official, at wheaton laboratories there’s going to be a free PDC for ants, their gappers and deep roots people. So if someone wants to come an attend the PDC that can show up as gappers and follow the fourteen day PDC,wheaton laboratories there’s going to be a free PDC for ants, their gappers and deep roots people. So if someone wants to come an attend the PDC that can show up as gappers and follow the fourteen day PDC, with PRI teacher Howard Story. There’s a whole thread on this on Wheaton labs forum here. The PDC will have visiting heavyweight teachers! There is an email for the PDC goantvillage@gmail.com
Paul passes to the big section of this podcast: adjusting Wheaton labs design, that as we have listened in podcasts 317,318 and 319 has had some problems. Paul admits he has passed the last months complaining about the problems. After having analyzed the problem now it’s time for the solution. How do we get long term people at Wheaton labs that can work well, and not be discouraged. The idea was to have people that have experience in building and growing but they don’t have access to the land.
In the past twenty months people came just to try and see how it could be, mostly gappers had little experience and that made the projects at Wheaton labs grow slower. Brian Brown was here for four days and he accomplished stuff that would have taken three months before the way gappers were organized. Ant village is the solution with which Paul has come up. Ants aren’t paid or feeded, Ants are free to work on their site. An ant pays 800 buck’s for now through to December 2016 for an acre of land. So if you pay now it’s 800 bucks for twenty months of land and ants receive 3000 bucks worth of candy, so it really is wonderland!
Paul explains what is in the candy ants receive, and that is worth more than just 3000 bucks. Every ant receives 16 hours of excavator with driver and fuel, or can trade 1 hour of excavator hours for 4 hours of tractor usage with a 1 ton loader. The ants that sign up early get extra candy, extra tractor hours, etc. . Evan, the first ant, got 8 hours as extra candy, and the second will get 7, and so on.
The current candy list is one piece of candy equals 2 hours of excavator and driver, one day with the sawmill, or one day in the tipi, three days with electric chainsaw, etc. . The complete list is at the ant village thread here.
Ants can work in some projects for Paul, and that work gets paid, and ants could pay other ants for work. Paul has a list of things he wants done and he pays for. Evan “the ant” has cashed in on that. And it all starts and ends with a definite goal.Ants can team up to use more land if they want to have cows, etc. The point is that many things at ant village can be arranged, if you’re serious about it, serious about your projects, at Wheaton labs you can get access to land.Wofati 0.7 will community kitchen and book and tool library for ant village and gappers. Gappers are still welcomed but things are different, ants have to accept to feed the gappers, deciding what they want in exchange. Jocelyn sums it up well: It’s a very different focus when people work on their own project and own land, its different when people work without personal investment. Ants have a personal goal.
Paul and Jocelyn speak about Evan the first,]]>Paul Wheatonyes58:12322 – Transition to Ant Village Part 2https://richsoil.com/permaculture/78126-322-transition-to-ant-village-part-2
Mon, 11 May 2015 20:27:44 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=78126<p>When Paul was young he tried to be someone who everyone got along with but he realized that this made him very unhappy. Paul likens himself to a bulldozer. With Gappers, this can be a problem. With Ants, Paul thinks he would have no problem eating three meals with them. Paul is not big on […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>When Paul was young he tried to be someone who everyone got along with but he realized that this made him very unhappy. Paul likens himself to a bulldozer. With Gappers, this can be a problem. With Ants, Paul thinks he would have no problem eating thre...Gappers, this can be a problem. With Ants, Paul thinks he would have no problem eating three meals with them. Paul is not big on small talk around dinner. Jocelyn pointed out that Paul is not a small talk person. Paul was not interested in talking about the latest episode of South Park. Jocelyn thinks that Gappers were not interested in listening to Paul talk about what needs to be done so the situation devolved. The Gappers did not understand the systems that were on the farm, but the recent people who came do understand that conversation at meal time does not need to be small talk and can be constructive and permaculture related. Paul was missed at meal time when he was not there but when he ate, he would wait to see what the conversations were about and if they were permaculture he would stick around, otherwise he would return to his office and keep working because he had so much to do.
Paul thinks that sharing meals once a week is probably enough. Eating with your boss is never fun. Paul recalls how the captain of a ship does not eat with is crew. Paul thinks that the way a person approaches a suggestion, is important and tells a funny story about the royal douche bag. Paul recalls a story of a young programmer who he went to visit and how the young person had a poor work ethic but the young man's perception of himself was that he was epic awesome. Paul explains how some of the Gappers reminded him of this young man. Jocelyn feels that when people are young they often fall into this trap. When the voice of experience does not support a young person's opinion, they become disenchanted.
Paul talks about an experience he had at PV1 and how he stayed in a loft bedroom and how women up in the balcony were naked and he realized he needed glasses when he could not tell that the ladies were naked. Paul wrestled one of the ladies the next day over his morning coffee. The thing Paul said to Seth was that he could use ladies like that on his farm. How his farm could use people who were happy go lucky and how they worked all day long and were helpful and happy and constantly positive. Paul admits that he can be negative and having people around him who are positive would have been a good thing to have. Jocelyn felt that she did what she could but could not pull the resources she needed to keep people positive. Poison is infectious and so with lots of poison going around it became overwhelming.
Paul created a thread called Breakfast with Spiderman and discusses some Joe Rogan quotes. Paul reviews other farms where the workers are separated from the boss and how most places keep workers separate. To build things, workers need to be predictable otherwise the schedule falls apart and nothing gets accomplished. Paul talks about obligations and business deals. When people commit to doing something they need to complete the task and then the obligation is over. Paul discusses how to come up with alternative ways to complete tasks. Paul talks about mitigating poison. Achievement seems to erase some of the poison. Jocelyn felt that some things seemed to go on and on and so this was a form of poison. Paul talks about how he does not need four houses. Some people were not about permaculture but they were more at the farm for room and food.]]>Paul Wheatonyes44:14321 – Transition to Ant Village Part 1https://richsoil.com/permaculture/78109-321-transition-to-ant-village-part-1
Fri, 08 May 2015 17:30:52 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=78109<p>Paul and Jocelyn continue on with the new updates at Wheaton Labs and basecamp. He gives some background on the first ant Evan, and soon to be ant Nick. Paul expresses how since recording around 4 hours of updates in podcasts, it has freed up a lot of time for him. Jocelyn points out a […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul and Jocelyn continue on with the new updates at Wheaton Labs and basecamp. He gives some background on the first ant Evan, and soon to be ant Nick. Paul expresses how since recording around 4 hours of updates in podcasts,Wheaton Labs and basecamp. He gives some background on the first ant Evan, and soon to be ant Nick.
Paul expresses how since recording around 4 hours of updates in podcasts, it has freed up a lot of time for him. Jocelyn points out a new thread Paul will put out about the projects he needs done that he will pay money for.
They move on to the next big topic they want to cover in more detail, which is the concept that obligation is poison. Paul believes that for most people, if they have an obligation for any period of time, it eventually poisons the relationship with that obligation. Paul mentions how one could argue that the recent changes with ant village etc, are a definitive test to see who is merely a human being, or who is noble; ie. when awkward situations arise a person makes it better, (noble) vs taking the awkward situation and making it worse.
The mission with ant village and the recent changes is to “observe the poisoning and come up with a permaculture design that is aligned with human nature to minimize or mitigate the poison.” Paul brings up how there will be obligations so they need to design a system that embraces that. Jocelyn remembers the various systems they had tried to solve this problem but how many of them failed.
Paul tells the story of the road he shared with his neighbor when he lived on Mount Spokane. He struck a deal with his neighbor that Paul would buy a new tractor, shape the road and plow the snow and his neighbor would buy and put down the gravel. Paul kept up his end of the bargain but his neighbor did not, and eventually it poisoned the relationship between them since had an obligation to buy gravel.
Paul also talks about with the previous gapper program, he had an obligation to make a lot of money to pay for the food, utilities, fuel, repairs, the projects and people he hired. Over time this weighed on Paul and eventually got 'poisoned' due to the fact that the long term plan wasn't realized as they had initially imagined possible, and yet they were still paying out a lot more than what they were getting back in other ways in return.
The other side of this is the gapper side – which is that they are obligation to put in 35 hours of work, and over time, they became poisoned as well, because they end up having to do work they hadn't planned on (repairs, cleaning, etc). Paul brings up the pig-bucket problem, and how they are looking for people to be at Wheaton Labs long-term. Jocelyn points out that in other farms they have Woofers that come in for the growing season, but it's on a much smaller scale than the 200+ people that had been there so they have less problems.
Paul tells the story of a guy who had initially set out to stay at Wheaton Labs forever, and so Paul purchased him an expensive smart phone and a 2 year plan, so he could be reachable, and have access to the internet. Paul asked in return for a picture a day posted out at permies. Paul had thought it was stacking functions, since he is getting the guy's help on the land and pictures.]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:02:30320 – Gapper Problemshttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/78098-320-gapper-problems
Wed, 06 May 2015 16:08:03 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=78098<p>Paul and Jocelyn warn that they are going to talk about some of the problems and some people might not like this. Jocelyn states that community and people systems are 90% of the permaculture at the farm. Paul has been at some communities where the people are very miserable. When the labs started it was […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul and Jocelyn warn that they are going to talk about some of the problems and some people might not like this. Jocelyn states that community and people systems are 90% of the permaculture at the farm. Paul has been at some communities where the peop...community and people systems are 90% of the permaculture at the farm. Paul has been at some communities where the people are very miserable. When the labs started it was lots of work and also lots of fun. Then it took a turn for the worse. The lab is currently looking for a land manager and some of the previous candidates did not work out so well.
The farm is now moving away from a gapper system and moving towards the ant village system going forward. Due to some of the perks there were lots of people who showed up but most did not really work out. Paul reviews how the dump truck failed, it went down. The truck was taken to a local repair person who said they could get it done quickly. After a week the local guy said it would be repaired soon. Weeks later Paul asked again when it was going to be done. It was actually three months and still he had not fixed it. In order to fix the truck they had to get someone else. Several other pieces of equipment also rely on dump truck. With the truck being down it impacted lots of equipment and other ongoing operations.
Moving on to the solar oven problem, the inventor of this oven sent one to Paul and a person volunteered to review it but several months passed and he never wrote the review. The person who took the oven from Paul said he would review it and he did use it but never wrote the review. Paul states that when you say you will do something you must do it.
The story of Emitt came next. Emitt said he would stay at the farm forever. Paul's brother was supposed to go away and showed Emitt how to take care of their animals. After two days Emitt decides to leave(to take a job that pays more) and he just split. Paul feels it was disrespectful to just leave. Who is supposed to take care of the animals now in Emmitts absences? Emitt will not be welcome back ever. Also, smoking and tobacco is not allowed at the farm but some people try to bend the rules. They step over the property line and have a cigarette.
Next was Gerry. Gerry has shortcomings and developing a system that allows him to grow will be a challenge. Gerry peeled logs for two days and on his third day he decides to come into the house and eat mid morning. Paul asks why Gerry is in the house and Gerry explains that he is taking a personal day. Gerry told Paul what a horrible leader he is. Gerry also pointed out how a person was chewing with his mouth open and how Paul needed to reprimand this person. Gerry had a whole list of complaints and how Paul needs to be with the Gappers more and put out more podcasts and more Youtube videos and Gerrys list went on and on.
Gerry agreed to not take anymore personal days but he did do it again and again. Multiple people tried to help Gerry wake up each morning and Gerry just hid in his tent. Another time Gerry tried making bread and it did not turn out well. Paul feels that Gerry did not understand what a Gapper was supposed to do. Paul had to have multiple conversations with Gerry about making up the hours when he took time off. Gerry said that he would agree to work weekends ...]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:13:07319 – Wheaton Laboratory Update Part 3https://richsoil.com/permaculture/78093-319-wheaton-laboratory-update-part-3
Mon, 04 May 2015 20:43:06 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=78093<p>Permaculture is about having a symbiotic relation with nature and we are dealing with human nature, so we have to design so that human nature brings forward the system. An ant village will be the way to achieve this. In designing these systems, we have to observe all possible design options to mitigate any problem […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Permaculture is about having a symbiotic relation with nature and we are dealing with human nature, so we have to design so that human nature brings forward the system. An ant village will be the way to achieve this. In designing these systems,human nature, so we have to design so that human nature brings forward the system. An ant village will be the way to achieve this. In designing these systems, we have to observe all possible design options to mitigate any problem and Paul is convinced convinced that the ant program will do that. This whole podcast is about community systems. Wheaton labs as an experimental site, is the best way to think of designs to solve community problems and make these systems function.
Paul hopes to come up with a design for a community, so that permaculture will become not a household word, but a community word. This way Paul hopes to help permaculture spread. Paul and Jocelyn start by talking about their feelings. Paul recognizes he is a difficult person to stay around and probably of the two hundred people that came to their place, about a hundred were happy to meet him at the beginning and then changed their minds quickly.
Paul talks about how his productivity has changed during twenty months. At the beginning he was very happy and was working hundred hours a week. But after eight months, he started to get burnt out and was productive for seventy hours a week. Twelve months in and he was down to fifty hours, fifteen months in and he went to see the doctor and that was when the magical words: you have to work less, slowed him down. But that is how he went from being from being a difficult guy to be around, to being even more difficult to be around. This had consequences on relationships that maybe could have evolved in other ways.
Paul gets back to the fact that things add up and in the end, even a little thing becomes enormous and you end up with a poisoned community. Paul recalls how it did get to a point when it wasn’t fun anymore, especially at meal times. That hampers velocity in achieving things that he thinks are important, and he again states that the ant village will be a solution. If you’re trying to do something and one of twelve people flakes out, it hurts the others and it takes some time to recover, but if four people flake out it’s a cluster-fuck and you have a real difficult time making plans. Soon, nothing functions anymore and you can’t feel the team.
Paul thinks it’s going to take him a year to recover from the past 20 months. Ant village will be one tenth of the effort of what all the other stuff took and one tenth of the money. Jocelyn says that for recovery, being alone for some time has been so good for them. Even though they have passed their time cleaning up what people should have cleaned and were paid to clean. They are doing a lot of healing. It's not that they were injured, it’s just that day after day after day of being dirty-cup-CSI just adds up and you lose mind fertility.
Paul is still obsessed with moving the projects forward. And what they are putting up now is the easiest way to complete them. Jocelyn, trying to explain her feeling’s uses the example of the used of towel.]]>Paul Wheatonyes51:11318 – Wheaton Laboratory Update Part 2https://richsoil.com/permaculture/78084-318-wheaton-laboratory-update-part-2
Fri, 01 May 2015 17:50:03 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=78084<p>Paul and Jocelyn continue from part one, with their discussion about community, and the big changes at Wheaton Labs. Paul starts off expressing how trial and error are the core of experimentation, and how he's happy to look at the failures and see how to make changes. They discuss mistakes – and how they are […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul and Jocelyn continue from part one, with their discussion about community, and the big changes at Wheaton Labs. Paul starts off expressing how trial and error are the core of experimentation, and how he's happy to look at the failures and see how ...part one, with their discussion about community, and the big changes at Wheaton Labs. Paul starts off expressing how trial and error are the core of experimentation, and how he's happy to look at the failures and see how to make changes. They discuss mistakes – and how they are a reality for everyone, and aren't something that they have a big problem with. Where they discovered mistakes to be an issue was when people would execute things in ways that they were specifically asked not to, causing mistakes to happen that could have been easily avoided, and ultimately ended up costing Paul a lot of money personally.
Paul brings up the necessity for a strong permaculture leader to be out in the field to work with and give direction to the gappers. They discuss the particulars for some of the changes with the ant village and gapper programs and share a few projects they would pay money for to have done.
Jocelyn brings the conversation back to the lack of permaculture leadership. She goes into the kinds of things people have learned at Wheaton Labs, from the simple to the complex, although she expresses much of what people would have learned may have seemed like labour instead of typical learning. Paul elaborates on that point more, going into how the past gapper program lacked structure despite all of the efforts to achieve it.
They go over some of the details of the expectations they felt people who came to Wheaton Labs had, like being able to learn from a permaculture leader while having a resort like experience, which ultimately lead to a lot of disrespectful behaviours, disappointment and failure since that wasn't the kind of system they had set up. They go over some of the frustrations that took place in the household, and how much time and money was wasted over some of the drama they experienced within the group.
Paul and Jocelyn continue digging deep into the various housekeeping and kitchen issues that inevitably came up atbasecamp, and the different attempts to remedy the different scenarios that would arise.
Jocelyn brings up how a lot of patience is needed to implement permaculture systems without compromising and settling for lesser standards just to get something going, which is something that many people may not have agreed with all the time. Jocelyn also points out that because they were focusing on building infrastructure, gardening wasn't a priority.
Paul and Jocelyn reinforce how important and beneficial the ant village design will be in solving many of the problems they faced in the past.
They move the conversation on to the point of how they haven't yet found the right permaculture leaders to come to stay on the property to help it develop, and Paul gives his observations on human psychology.
The podcast continues in part three.
Relevant ThreadsPodcast 317 - Wheaton Laboratory Update Part 1

yes1:13:10317 – Wheaton Laboratory Update Part 1https://richsoil.com/permaculture/78049-317-wheaton-laboratory-update-part-1
Sat, 25 Apr 2015 01:24:07 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=78049<p>Paul Wheaton opens with the declaration that this could be the most important podcast of all times since the podcast is going to focus on the least talked about but in Paul's view, most important, aspect of permaculture: Community. Paul and Jocelyn describe the 20 month long “party” with having over 200 guests and visitors […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul Wheaton opens with the declaration that this could be the most important podcast of all times since the podcast is going to focus on the least talked about but in Paul's view, most important, aspect of permaculture: Community.podcast of all times since the podcast is going to focus on the least talked about but in Paul's view, most important, aspect of permaculture:Community.
Paul and Jocelyn describe the 20 month long “party” with having over 200 guests and visitors staying at Wheaton Labs, experimenting with different aspects of community living. Paul gives an overview of some of the new changes they will implement at Wheaton Labs with the community set up, like how they will no longer have people reside in their home or have a kitchen commander.
Paul points out that the recipe they were using for community was much better than many other communities he had experienced, but it still fell short. He makes it clear that they aren't intending to throw anyone under the bus with this discussion, but want to talk about this important aspect of permaculture in the hopes of improving it and finding the solutions to make it work. Paul also expresses that he feels it's his fault that it did not work out, being a badly designed system which he hopes to improve on.
They go into the new system, which is the ant village and deep roots design. They discuss how “obligation is poison” which Paul felt was part of the reason things did not work out, since everyone felt obligated to work or get things done, which can take the passion out of the activity itself.
Another big change will be how big equipment is used. They circle back to make clear that the situation with everyone leaving Wheaton Labs was more or less organic, with everyone leaving at different times and for their own reasons (ie. time they commited to was up or getting a job etc.)
Paul gives a few more details about how the ant village and gappers will work in general, and how himself and Jocelyn will be less involved in the system but still there as a support in different ways.Wofati 0.7 is going to be dedicated to gappers and ants, the center point for a tool library, and community kitchen.
Paul discusses his philosophy that if you are going to build something, you need some level of predictability. He shares that the “flake out factor” is the straw that broke the camels back, since continuously asking people to come through on something and then having them not, is debilitating in many ways.
Another problem they had was enormous amounts of time was taken up by equipment repair or building infrastructure instead of gaining experiences in permaculture and natural building etc that would be more enjoyable, which took its toll on people.
Paul and Jocelyn discuss some of the more intricate problems of community living and sharing a space and how the hardworking, responsible people whom they want to be a part of the community are often those who can't come for long periods of time.
They dig deeper into the specific downsides of community living. First off, Paul and Jocelyn talk about how when people leave Wheaton Labs after making mistakes, they make a point of not talking about it in podcasts or on the permies forums to protect the integrity of the people and their lives.
Paul vents a bit on the flake-out factor again, which ultimately was the biggest problem in the end since things had devolved so much at that point.
]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:03:39316 – More on Rocket Mass Heaters with Ernie and Erica Wisner Part 2https://richsoil.com/permaculture/77647-316-rocket-mass-heaters-ernie-erica-wisner-part-2
Tue, 10 Feb 2015 22:06:19 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=77647<p>Paul and Jocelyn continue their conversation with Ernie and Erica Wisner about rocket mass heaters. Erica starts off talking about how different homes will get different ratios of heat, depending on insulation or design and how well their current systems (wood stoves etc,) have been working for them. She gives examples of ways people have […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul and Jocelyn continue their conversation with Ernie and Erica Wisner about rocket mass heaters. Erica starts off talking about how different homes will get different ratios of heat, depending on insulation or design and how well their current syste...conversation with Ernie and Erica Wisner about rocket mass heaters.
Erica starts off talking about how different homes will get different ratios of heat, depending on insulation or design and how well their current systems (wood stoves etc,) have been working for them. She gives examples of ways people have used rocket mass heater technology in combination with other forms of heating.
The conversation moves onto Carbon dioxide emissions, and how to become carbon negative. Erica suggests by putting in optimized systems like growing your own coppice trees where you'd eventually outgrow your burn need you'd result in more carbon being put into the soil and less being put into the air. Erica makes the point that by doing this you become carbon negative and she feels this is not possible with some of the other systems (like natural gas).
Paul makes the point that harvesting sticks is much easier and more practical than trying to harvest natural gas or electricity. Ernie gives the example of how you can source wood for free from logging companies who normally burn the branches from the trees they cut down. Paul also says that if you live in the country and have 15-20 trees in your yard, you can collect the branches that fall off of the tree and you'd have enough to last quite a while.
Jocelyn tells the story of how at Matt Walker's homestead he had some tree limbs/branches he had trimmed which he put in a pasture until he could figure out what to do with them. This lead to his sheep eating the bark off of the branches, helping the wood to dry out which he could then use for heating more efficiently.
They discuss Tim's (Paul's brother) rocket mass heater and the problems that occured with it. They also go through how different people use rocket mass heaters in different ways, giving the example of the rocket mass heater in the Tipi, and how Olenka uses it. Erica shares how Olenka only runs the rocket mass heater for cooking generally. Ernie expresses how the tipi is a prime example of what a rocket mass heater can do.
Since Ernie and Erica have to leave soon, they move on quickly to talk about the other 9 rocket mass heaters at wheaton labratories, as well as some of the dynamics at Wheaton labs and how they've improved. They go through the difficulties and challenges with starting up and living in an intentional community. They go over how people have different perceptions of Wheaton labs, and are often surprised when they get there. The same thing has applied with how people view Paul Wheaton himself as well. They discuss the various personalities intentional communities have, and the challenges that brings.
They break down some of these preconceived ideas that people have had, and Paul expresses what they are really trying to achieve at Wheaton Labs. They finish up talking a little more about what their standards are at Wheaton labs,]]>Paul Wheatonyes53:06315 – More on Rocket Mass Heaters with Ernie and Erica Wisner Part 1https://richsoil.com/permaculture/77624-315-rocket-mass-heaters-ernie-erica-wisner
Thu, 05 Feb 2015 00:05:29 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=77624<p>Paul Wheaton sits down with Ernie and Erica Wisner to do a turbo podcast about rocket mass heaters. Ernie starts by asking Jocelyn what she feels about having the RMH sitting in the middle of the living room for so long, unable to be used. Jocelyn gives a few downsides to having that but goes […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul Wheaton sits down with Ernie and Erica Wisner to do a turbo podcast about rocket mass heaters. Ernie starts by asking Jocelyn what she feels about having the RMH sitting in the middle of the living room for so long, unable to be used.podcast about rocket mass heaters. Ernie starts by asking Jocelyn what she feels about having the RMH sitting in the middle of the living room for so long, unable to be used. Jocelyn gives a few downsides to having that but goes on to explain how now that it's running she sees a lot of advantages to it given that it burns cleanly, will reduce moisture in the house and bring the mould issue (that's been happening due to the moisture) under control. Paul weighs in on it too saying that they've been running a propane heater which has been pretty unpleasant compared to the rocket mass heater, which he feels people are really excited about having there.
Ernie follows up with a question for Paul and Jocelyn, asking if the moisture issue has cleared up from using the rocket mass heater which Jocelyn explains that is has.
Ernie and Paul get into how they pulled out all the stops on this rocket mass heater with the aim of making it the prettiest most functional pebble style rocket mass heater possible.Erica explains some of the designs done on the rocket mass heater and their functions. They discovered in making this stove that it burned at incredibly high temperatures. They discovered this by putting in 4 cones (temperature measuring equipment normally used to measure temperature in ceramic kilns) which were put on the floor of the burn tunnel at the very back (one of the coolest spots of the heater) and two of the cones (meant to withstand 1300 and 1700 degrees fahrenheit) melted down in 2.5 hours!
Since it was burning way to hot, they then had to figure out some methods to cool it down. Ernie explains that they cut the firebox in half, making it so that you could put much less wood being able to be put in, and they lengthened the ducts by 19 feet work to restrict the amount of heat coming through. Even after doing all of that - it melted those cones.
Erica shares a pretty groundbreaking concept that Ernie has been thinking about due to his concerns of all the plastic in the pacific gyre (an enormous island of garbage) – wondering if he can make a portable incinerator that could be put on a boat that could burn plastic cleanly and possibly power the boat. The particular stove at Wheaton labs is hitting temperatures which could make that actually possible.
Ernie shares that the stove at Wheaton labs is different from standard rocket mass heaters because of the high temperatures, which are being reached with even less wood. Ernie is developing a 4” system to be able to heat a large home. Erica goes through the numbers of how amazing it would be to cut your wood use in half, and then in half again, where you'd have wood in your shed to burn for many years.
They move back to talking about the cones, and Paul asked what temperatures Ernie speculates they've hit. Ernie feels it's anywhere from 3000-4000 degrees fahrenheit.
They continue the conversation, between mouthfuls of huckleberry scones, revisiting some of the older rocket mass heater designs and results,]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:18:33314- Winter Update from the Labs Part 2https://richsoil.com/permaculture/77610-314-winter-update-labs-part-2
Tue, 27 Jan 2015 21:44:30 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=77610<p>Paul and Jocelyn continue their discussion about what has been happening at the labs this winter. The temperatures dropped and it required that a Rocket Mass Heater (RMH) be installed inside the wofati. The temps were very cold inside and outside the WOFATI and there's a draft problem. When the wind blows, it can go […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul and Jocelyn continue their discussion about what has been happening at the labs this winter. The temperatures dropped and it required that a Rocket Mass Heater (RMH) be installed inside the wofati. The temps were very cold inside and outside the W...Rocket Mass Heater (RMH) be installed inside the wofati. The temps were very cold inside and outside the WOFATI and there's a draft problem. When the wind blows, it can go between the logs. Now the gaps between the logs are mostly plugged. When the RMH is run, there are still a couple of setbacks. Paul does not want to throw anyone under the bus and so he will not share these setbacks because some things are just too sensitive. Going back to drafts, this should be considered a design flaw. The batch box RMH works well for about three minutes. There is a cold plug within the pipes and routing this out the wall would probably fix it. Several theories were proposed and Paul feels that the vertical exhaust is full of cold air and cold air wants to go down. This explains why pressure builds and it goes backwards as a result. If the WOFATI is warmer on the inside then it should flow properly so plugging the drafts should fix this. Where the RMH was installed and the exhaust goes through the floor, may also be contributing to the problem. The WOFATI was a split level design (against Paul's request) so they are making the best of it. The RMH is on the lower level. There is an odd thing that is similar to a p-trap. Paul thinks the manifold may be a problem but we will have to wait and see. There is a big thread on the forum a Permies.com on this.WOFATI 0.8 is discussed next. Paul likes to take ash built up in the RMH for the Wofati out daily. Removing ash before a burn is a good practice. Sometimes though, the ash can be drawn into the system. There was some water leaking from the exhaust too. A T was installed to help drain the water, but without a hole the water can not get out. Tim and Christie like their RMH now.
Snow and ice management. When the snow falls it's important to get it off the steps and porch so it's safer to walk on. Using sand and polenta on the icy parts works well. Turkeys come and eat the polenta and then claw at the ice. Paul thought using tree branches might help reduce slipping.
Paul discusses the potato village. Gappers need food and there are expenses with gappers. Lots of "Ooops" moments have occurred. One of the electric vehicles was damaged. Tape measures get lost. Gloves get left laying around. Safety glasses. Drill bits, etc. Lots of "Ooopses". Paul now wants people to bring certain tools when they come for seminars. Tools are getting broken. From now on people attending workshops will need to bring their own tools. The potato village is the root layer or first layer and this is where new people need to start. Paul asks how much work does a gapper do?
Paul came up with three different levels for gappers. Junior gapper, assistant gapper and supervisor. Skill levels and knowledge are very varied amongst the people who visit and stay at the farm. There are some who come and bring drama and their work ethic is lacking a little. Paul discusses options on how to fix these problems. One idea is that beginning people will only work on projects that need hand tools. Another idea is that people then can work their way up to certain levels to work with power tools.]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:21:32313 – Winter Update from the Labs Part 1https://richsoil.com/permaculture/77591-313-winter-update-labs-part-1
Wed, 21 Jan 2015 17:02:03 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=77591<p>Paul Wheaton begs forgiveness from Jocelyn since it has been two months since his last podcast. They go over why it has taken them a bit of time to get motivated to do a new podcast. Jocelyn talks about a few updates and also how she was feeling like you need creative space to be […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul Wheaton begs forgiveness from Jocelyn since it has been two months since his last podcast. They go over why it has taken them a bit of time to get motivated to do a new podcast. Jocelyn talks about a few updates and also how she was feeling like y...podcast. They go over why it has taken them a bit of time to get motivated to do a new podcast. Jocelyn talks about a few updates and also how she was feeling like you need creative space to be ready to do a podcast. Paul commented that working long days he felt it's hard to get to the podcasts, especially since he felt he needed to slow down in general.
They jump into the topic of the podcast which is the common misconception that there is nothing for people to do in the winter. Speaking about Montana, they talk about how most people have different ideas of what it's like in the winter in Montana. Paul brings up the example of the sawmill since it requires water on the blade to keep it cool so the sap stays off of it, but in winter, when it's already cold, you don't need to be concerned with it since the sap is frozen in the wood, enabling it to still be used.
Paul talks about the tipi, which he hasn't visited in a while, and how it's really nice in there. He mentions how it could possibly used for 'glamping'. Jocelyn points out a thread on permies that Paul started about permaculture experiences and workshops.
Paul shares how there is a long list of tasks to be done for the winter for Wheaton Labratories. He mentions that the highest priorities for the year are putting in food systems and working on aesthetics. Paul goes back to sawmill scenario and the difficulties he was having with running it using the electric vehicles. He mentions that the leviathan would be able to handle it but it's not yet in operation. Paul discusses some of the updates (and how cool some of them are) to the levianthan's design, which they think in less than a month it will be deployed.
Paul and Jocelyn discuss a few more updates about the sawmill, mentioning how Tim has optimized the sawmill to make more consistent and uniform wood, and Paul walks us through his thinking of why he wanted a sawmill setup to begin with and what will be the most optimal outcome once everything is in place.
Another winter task they discuss is firewood. They go over all of the places they have rocket mass heaters installed. Jocelyn talks about Ernie and Erica Wisner's visit after Christmas, and Paul goes over how after a long process they figured out how to manage the exhaust of one of the rocket mass heaters in the house. Paul gives some news on how this rocket mass heater was burning at a temperature around the 3500-4000 degree range. Paul and Ernie are excited about this because the temperature is so hot it could potentially break down plastics, making it a clean way to get rid of toxic material, and also being able to heat your house with different waste products. Jocelyn points out how Ernie doesn't trust any system that hasn't run for at least a year and been verified and tested.
They move the conversation into a discussion on rock jacks and various fencing to keep critters from eating your yes1:01:31312 – Gapper Livinghttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/77454-312-gapper-living
Wed, 10 Dec 2014 17:50:37 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=77454<p>Paul, Jocelyn, Rick, Sam, and the gappers sit down after their thanksgiving meal to chat. First everyone introduces themselves, and then Paul starts by talking about how amazing it is that they got the land and how it directly involved the gift economy. He talks about where he was at a few years ago compared […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul, Jocelyn, Rick, Sam, and the gappers sit down after their thanksgiving meal to chat. First everyone introduces themselves, and then Paul starts by talking about how amazing it is that they got the land and how it directly involved the gift economy...gappers sit down after their thanksgiving meal to chat. First everyone introduces themselves, and then Paul starts by talking about how amazing it is that they got the land and how it directly involved the gift economy. He talks about where he was at a few years ago compared to now and then he speaks about the process of how he actually paid for the land. This involved several people basically funding him and so he is thanking them by asking them what they want to hear a podcast about!
He talks about how thankful he is for all of this happening. They call the people who funded him the jetpack people. The first jetpack person wanted to hear how the project has had a positive effect on the gappers. Jesse talks about how it has really made him appreciate hard work and how it just really teaches about you things about yourself and he has really grown in that space.
Paul talks about how they thought they could get the wofati 10x10 done before the ground froze but the spot where it was going in had tons of rocks. They ended up realizing it is not going to happen so they put that project away for now. They then talk about the Tim challenge which basically consists of a gapper working 100 hours a week being Tim’s assistant and so Jesse describes his experience with that for a bit.
They talk about how they did get the umbrella on wofati 0.7 but it was really cold so the mass is not heated up. The earth was wet and so the lowest temp in the wofati got down to 32 degrees fahrenheit so that was a bit too cold so they moved everyone out of that one and they are going to put a rocket mass heater in it and hopefully get people back in it in a few weeks.
They move back to discussing the gappers experiences and Olenka mentions that being in a place where permaculture is the norm is such an amazing thing. She talks about how not having to worry about constantly defending her values and just be accepted is such a comforting thing. She also talks about living with a rocket mass heater and the symbiosis of living with her heat source in the tipi is a powerful thing. Derek, the other tipi dweller talks about how life in the tipi is amazing and there is no evidence of cow poop in smell or vision and it has made him very aware of and thankful for simple amenities like water because they have to haul it up if they want it.
Next Sophia talks about the spoon she made and how she wanted to actually learn practical skills and feel the cob and instead of just reading about it. She is currently trying to make a bowl for a side project but has to go home to Sweden soon. Paul then talks about PEP1 a little bit and explains how the idea came about and how it works with the badges and the belts within each badge. He says that basically they want it to be a level of richness that will take the average person 3 years. It wouldn’t be something where they would have to come here and do it, you could self certify or ignore it. It would be roughly 300 tasks that a person has completed and then the last two big things for the very end would be to build a wofati by yourself and lived in it for one winter and grow enough food feed ...]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:33:31311 – More Intentional Community with Diana Leafe Christian Part 3https://richsoil.com/permaculture/77435-311-intentional-community-diana-leafe-christian-part-3
Mon, 08 Dec 2014 21:37:42 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=77435<p>Part three of the podcast picks up with a question about what she thinks of the idea that a community functions best by finding out what the women want and giving them that? Taking a moment to decide on her response, Diana responds that she isn't quite able to relate to the question well enough […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Part three of the podcast picks up with a question about what she thinks of the idea that a community functions best by finding out what the women want and giving them that? Taking a moment to decide on her response,
Paul adds that the question implies an expected result. He feels that the premise falls apart if you can find even one crazy person among a given gender. Diana feels it doesn't actually take into account human nature. No two people have exactly the same wants. Because of this, she passes. Paul references having heard of communities who follow a path of Matriarchy.
The next question is from someone new to permaculture who wishes to know if there are examples of established for-profit intentional communities? The answer is a quick yes. Can communal effort be economically productive and self supportive? Yes. Examples are requested along with how a middle aged woman would find or form such a group. Several more connected questions follow prior to Diana answering.
Diana believes focus on economic viability is required in intentional communities. Can you afford the cost of land, development, lawyer fees, etc. She suggests a free PDF that can be had through request via her email. She also suggests several books she has written which may be in the local library or can be bought. It offers an outline based on both the successes and failures of other groups.
She then offers several suggestions about various ways to start your own community without buying land. There is no financing for building ICs. She doesn't advice most borrowing options and puts heavy qualifications on the one she does suggest as a possibility. Money is also needed at the start for development. She offers a few other suggestions for how to go about making or joining such a community.
Paul tells a story about an experience he had regarding how someone he met was wanting a lifestyle change to become a work exchanger. Her resistance was fear of moving a lot, but both Paul and Diana agreed that it is highly possible to become an indefinite work exchanger. Directory.ic.org is suggested as a place to find communities in the area you want to go. Paul augments by mentioning Wwoofinternational.org as a way to find other resources that may not be on ic.org. Diana clarifies that Woof.org includes a lot of farms rather than just communities.
The next question focus' on dividing the responsibilities. First, it was asked if there were communities interested in retirees. Diana is sure most are fine as long as your goals align. Further exploration of the questions being asked leads to a suggestion to seek out Earthhaven. Some communities have systems in place that

allow for either labor or funds to help the greater whole. Several methods of handling the situation are explained.
The following person has seen communities based around agriculture, but found them to be too hands-off and non-permaculture. None of them was self-sustaining. As generalists, they would like a way to set up a community without having to exceed their own abilities. They also want to know what happens with the elderly/incapacitated in an intentional community. The answer is that it varies

depending on the community and Diana goes into details. It is often very similar to if you owned your own home and fell into the same state.]]>Paul Wheatonyes59:11310 – More Intentional Community with Diana Leafe Christian Part 2https://richsoil.com/permaculture/77429-310-intentional-community-diana-leafe-christian-part-2
Mon, 08 Dec 2014 21:17:46 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=77429<p>Podcast 310 is the second of a three piece series with Diana Leafe Christian discussing intentional community. Diana begins the podcast with a truism coined by her friend and the founder of the</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Podcast 310 is the second of a three piece series with Diana Leafe Christian discussing intentional community. Diana begins the podcast with a truism coined by her friend and the founder of theintentional community. Diana begins the podcast with a truism coined by her friend and the founder of the]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:31:39309 – More Intentional Community with Diana Leafe Christian Part 1https://richsoil.com/permaculture/77420-309-intentional-community-diana-leafe-christian
Mon, 08 Dec 2014 19:46:08 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=77420<p>Paul interviews Diane over a land line due to some technical difficulties. Paul has four items to go over and then a bunch of questions from Permies.com. Diane will be a speaker at PV2 this year. Paul thinks that PV2 is going to be a big hit again this year. Diane plans to talk about […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul interviews Diane over a land line due to some technical difficulties. Paul has four items to go over and then a bunch of questions from Permies.com. Diane will be a speaker at PV2 this year. Paul thinks that PV2 is going to be a big hit again this...PV2 this year. Paul thinks that PV2 is going to be a big hit again this year. Diane plans to talk about what works well when designing an intentional community or eco-village and how many of the principles of permaculture can be applied to good community design. Point for point intentional community design is similar to permaculture. Paul wants to expand zone 1 where plants require the most attention.
Diane talks about how community design with good will and harmony are important. Paul brings up his PV1 talk and how he lightly touched on community last year in PV1. Diane reviews some aspects of her workshops on community design and how ideals scale over time. Diane speaks about her timeline and how she graphs the ideal community versus the cynical outlook of community. Diane talks about the ideals that some people come to an intentional community with. Some people come with magical thinking and the hope that no one needs to keep track of community hours or screening of people entering the community. Always say yes is their ideal vision. The idealists are sometimes shocked at what Diane says needs to be done. Diane explains how over time and with experience, communities learn they need to track labor and other things. Paul explains how when he lived in a community they split up chores between twenty people. Diane explains how by luck of the draw all of Paul's people were willing to all pitch in but if some people did not contribute it would have been a different experience. Paul thinks that planning the systems helps people understand what is expected. Diane points out that the people who want structure ultimately help free the group up but will be vilified by those who do not want structure. With no structure, the community will not be successful for very long. Diane explains how some people claim that something is not community just to manipulate others in the community.
Diane discusses the shared group household. Twenty or so people under one roof similar to what Paul hopes to accomplish at Wheaton Labs. Paul discusses his variant for helping when people fall short of putting in their community time. Paul asks about Earth Haven where Diane lives in North Carolina. In a well designed systems people can pay money in place of their labor. Diane talks about the diversity within a community and how you want people to have similar goals and values and let the diversity lay in the how people accomplish the community goals. Paul goes off on a tangent about experiences with Disney and hiring people to write code. Paul brings it back around to how a community looks at people coming into a community. Paul feels that dysfunction is the norm when bringing people into a community. Paul brings up Sanghia in New York and how nice it is. Diane explains how federal fair housing laws prevent people from saying who can and can not join a community. Diane thinks that if you use what works well you can get good members. First you need criteria which includes the cost and the labor requirements are. Next you explain the test period and what the agreements are for that community includin...]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:37:57308 – Interview With Diana Leafe Christian Part 3https://richsoil.com/permaculture/77077-308-interview-diana-leafe-christian-part-3
Mon, 13 Oct 2014 21:49:19 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=77077<p>Paul starts off by talking about an expression he think applies to the non-violent communication discussion. Someone once told him that "church is not a showcase for saints, but a hospital for sinners" and he compares this to school of non violent communication because people who are coming to it are definitely not good at […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul starts off by talking about an expression he think applies to the non-violent communication discussion. Someone once told him that "church is not a showcase for saints, but a hospital for sinners" and he compares this to school of non violent comm...non-violent communication discussion. Someone once told him that "church is not a showcase for saints, but a hospital for sinners" and he compares this to school of non violent communication because people who are coming to it are definitely not good at communication.Diana makes the point that it is always better that we try to get better at it than to not try. She compares it to learning permaculture. It is better to try and stumble through it, even if you mess it up sometimes, at least you are learning.
Paul talks about how he wants to facilitate 20 different visionaries, he wants to have across pollination of brilliance, he wants to see permaculture move forward. These are the reasons why he cares about communication. Diana discusses the differences in the way Paul is choosing to do his community with shared resources and shared infrastructure and she talks about certain methods of governance that work best for this. Basically, she uses design principles of permaculture and applies them to communities.
They go on to speak about consensus based methods and processes in communities. Diana talks about a few of the struggles of her community has had with blocking and the ways they use super majority now. She then talks about a thing she calls structural conflict which is when founders didn't put in fundamental structures or processes. It is a problem when nothing was established about their mission at the beginning of its creation.
Paul talks about reading a book Ecotopia and how influential it has been on him without him even realizing it. He then moves into talking about their kitchen problems and how Paul has to hear everyone out about their problems because that is the way his community design works. He talks about the kitchen commander or level 9 mom that he sort of assumed their community would have by now. He feels like he has accomplished less because they assumed they would have that person here and they don't.
Next Diana elaborates on what she calls nomadic youth. These are simply young people who visit multiple communities and after being there for a while they leave because they go off to other adventures and you can't be mad at them so she proposes work exchange programs. You provide their food and housing and they provide you with labor. This leads them into talking about Paul's gappers and all sorts of stories with them.
Diana speaks to the importance of having some sort of rigorous application process and then sign a contract with clear expectations of both the community and the work exchanger. Diana notes that people don't realize it but implementing permaculture design is hard, heavy, dirty work and so they need to be told that up front. They finish up this podcast by talking about the Bullock brothers farm, a kitchen manager work exchanger, and why Paul doesn't like contracts.
Relevant Threads 2015: Gappers, Tours, and Pebbles

“Check and...]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:06:48307 – Interview With Diana Leafe Christian Part 2https://richsoil.com/permaculture/77054-307-interview-diana-leafe-christian-part-2
Tue, 07 Oct 2014 00:47:34 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=77054<p>Paul starts off by mentioning how the last half of the last podcast they made got ruined so now they are now re-recording that. Diana wants to make it clear that she has a basic disagreement from Paul. She believes he has made an extrapolation of a too small sample by saying that most conflict […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul starts off by mentioning how the last half of the last podcast they made got ruined so now they are now re-recording that. Diana wants to make it clear that she has a basic disagreement from Paul. She believes he has made an extrapolation of a too...communities work, not all of them share a kitchen so she is basically just saying we need to be more precise about different types of communities because generalizations are always bad.
She talks a bit more about what she thinks of the phrase intentional communities. Paul notes that he thought she was trying to move away from intentional community to ecovillage but she debunks this and says she doesn't like when people use the word ecovillage when they don't actually have an ecovillage. She goes on to speak about the definition of an ecovillage and relays the general definition and the classical definition. She continues by breaking down this definition into more detail.
They talk about the criteria of getting to call something an intentional community, they talk about the standards and whether there are any. She does note that she doesn't like that people can just say their their project is an intentional community on Intentional Community Directory when it isn't. Diana goes on to talk about how to use the Intentional Community Directory and how to go about choosing and joining a community.
Paul switches it up a bit and talks about ego and arrogance for a while and Diana talks about how she wants to throw out the word ego because it doesn't mean anything. Next they talk about her article which is going to be a chapter of her book, which describes a bell shaped curve in which all people fall somewhere on. She explains each type of person on this curve starting with the majority of people who obviously fall in the middle.
Diana mentions that when people are pointing at people and calling them bad things they usually are lacking the communication skills to express what they are really feeling. Next they talk about non-violent communication and non defensive communication a little it and Diana shares a personal story of her own relating to this. Next they talk about the word jerk and it's implications for a while and Diana tries to steer them back to the theme of the podcast by mentioning that she suggests all communities do three things:restorative circles, sociocracy, and non-violent communication.
Relevant ThreadsOpen Communication

Independent/Consensus/Dictator Hybrid
Credit: Cassie Langstraat
You can discuss this podcast on this thread at Permies.Get all of the podcasts in convenient,]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:20:45306 – Rocket Mass Heater Innovators Event Part 3https://richsoil.com/permaculture/76992-306-rocket-mass-heater-innovators-event-part-3
Thu, 02 Oct 2014 17:11:20 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=76992<p>In the last part of this podcast, Paul and the innovators discuss the safer burn of the batch box. With this style and you can feel safer walking away just like a regular stove. This would have a door that would close and so you can have much more confidence leaving it alone. Ernie does […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>In the last part of this podcast, Paul and the innovators discuss the safer burn of the batch box. With this style and you can feel safer walking away just like a regular stove. This would have a door that would close and so you can have much more conf...batch box. With this style and you can feel safer walking away just like a regular stove. This would have a door that would close and so you can have much more confidence leaving it alone. Ernie does make a point that it is still a rocket stove that one needs to be careful with.
Next Peter talks a little bit about a potential design for a rocket mass heater in a camper and then goes back to talking about his batch box. The system is designed to heat a large space very quick and this alone makes it safer because it is not on very long and because you are just fooling with it for a lesser amount of time.
They bring up some sort of debate they were having about the mass temperatures in one of the heaters they have at the labs. The temp at beginning and end of bench was 40 degrees different but at the beginning of the burn it is only 6 degrees different. So the mass isn't extracting the heat because the bench is missing for pebble style. It has no air intake at the bottom which is critical so they need to put the air ports in and test it again.
Paul mentions that they modified the shop so the exhaust goes through the roof and that he is the only one who wants it to go through the wall. Peter speaks for a while about the math calculations he did for this design. So basically what he has done is worked out a ratio of steel to masonry to convert one to the other.
The next thing they talk about is Ernie's heat pipes. It is a method of moving heat between stoves and a different mass or an application. They made them out of half inch copper pipe and a solder. It turns out they move heat really efficiently and could be quite game-changing for rocket mass heater design. It has to be at an angle going up in some fashion and it can successfully transfer heat 90 percent heat. It has one end in the flow and is be able to transfer it into a wall or into a radiator or into a hottub and heat the other materials. They talk about how why it isn't explody for a little while and Ernie says he wants to increase the pipe size. They finish up by talking about how this could effect solar ovens.
Next Tim talks about his Pocket Locket and Rocket. He explains that this was his attempt at something he always avoided which is doing too many things at once. It is a J tube hooked up to a griddle and then from there to an oven and then into a water heater. He talks about his black stove at home and describes that it was a 3.9 inch system but this is a recreation of a barrel oven that has been successful before. The real innovation is getting everything to gel and work together. He calls himself a junkologist so this project has a lot of miscellaneous parts. When they tested it, it was getting to about 400 degrees on the griddle and with with a baffle about 390 degrees. With the baffle completely down, it was 500 degrees. The oven temperatures were similar.
The water heating system he designed at PRI could heat about 50 showers a night but it means lifting 400 pounds of water about 3 feet so for this one needs to be modified accordingly. He talks about where the system is pressurized and...]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:04:31305 – Rocket Mass Heater Innovators Event Part 2https://richsoil.com/permaculture/76988-305-rocket-mass-heater-innovators-event-part-2
Wed, 01 Oct 2014 16:03:00 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=76988<p>In this podcast, the innovators from the Rocket Mass Heater event at the labs continue their discussion. They begin by talking about the Matt Walker Outdoor Cooker Patio Heater. He explains it is just a standard J-tube with and insulative refractor and it is buried in the ground so that it will be at a […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>In this podcast, the innovators from the Rocket Mass Heater event at the labs continue their discussion. They begin by talking about the Matt Walker Outdoor Cooker Patio Heater. He explains it is just a standard J-tube with and insulative refractor and...podcast, the innovators from the Rocket Mass Heater event at the labs continue their discussion. They begin by talking about the Matt Walker Outdoor Cooker Patio Heater. He explains it is just a standard J-tube with and insulative refractor and it is buried in the ground so that it will be at a manageable height to cook on. It has a standard barrel over the top which he cut a whole in the top to make an adjustable burner to make it able to have variable temperatures for cooking burner. They used it to put a smoker on top to smoke the pork for the event.
Paul mentions his old rocket stove from a few years ago that just burnt everything to death. Ernie talks a little bit about why the L-tube is pretty much useless compared to the J-tube. Matt then explains in detail the design of his rocket stove and says he gets annoyed when people still assume rocket stoves can only be used for boiling water because his has such a variety of heat. It even uses the heat you don't use to cook to warm the humans.
They continue to explain Matt's project and note that it is a rocket stove but it looks like a rocket mass heater that is a 6 inch system with a four inch hole. They talk about how nothing comes out of the hole like ash, and with the J-tube tube you don't have to feed it like the L-tube. They only need put new wood into every 20 minutes or so.
The next thing they talk about and what Paul claims to be the prettiest thing, is the batch burner that Peter made. It has glass on the top so you could see the burn and the way it transitions from the batch feed area into the riser area. There is a tall narrow opening and you could tell the flame was swirling and mixing which is so important. They spend a little bit of time discussing the two opposite rams horns effect. So this one is an 8 inch batch burner with double barrel top which the flame is contained it. They talk about even having 3 barrels and how that would work. The cool thing about this system is you'll get a lot of direct heat which is good to have short term heat gain for the shop where there are people there only in the mornings usually. They talk a little bit about the history of batch burners and how to keep them clean.
Next they talk about how well the batch burner really did. It ran fine the first time they started it but then later it went haywire and he discusses the details of that. They continue to talk about how they kept testing it over and over. Peter has an analyzer contraption that examines the exhaust which is far hotter than other rocket mass heaters because its burning all the wood at the same time and there is so much more wood in there. This analyzer checks the carbon monoxide and oxygen. Next they talk about how this is a little bit scary because of how hot this is actually getting but Peter reassures everyone it is fine. Erica talks more about the test-o-meters and how most people get mid hundreds and so for Peter's to be below 20 is very very impressive!
Relevant ThreadsEnlarged Firebox

yes53:34304 – Rocket Mass Heater Innovators Event Part 1https://richsoil.com/permaculture/76965-304-rocket-mass-heater-innovators-event-part-1
Tue, 30 Sep 2014 01:05:10 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=76965<p>In this podcast Paul and all of the innovators discuss the most recent rocket mass heater workshop/innovator's eventthat just finished at the labs. The first project they talk about is the standard 8 inch cob system with no frills and no bells and whistles, that was built that into wofati 0.8. They got word that […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>In this podcast Paul and all of the innovators discuss the most recent rocket mass heater workshop/innovator's eventthat just finished at the labs. The first project they talk about is the standard 8 inch cob system with no frills and no bells and whis...rocket mass heater workshop/innovator's eventthat just finished at the labs. The first project they talk about is the standard 8 inch cob system with no frills and no bells and whistles, that was built that into wofati 0.8. They got word that Tim and Christy burnt it and it was too hot all night. This is good news because when they initially tried to start it, it was smokey and smoked back but that was due to the conditions. Paul does mention that they will do this event again next year but possibly 3 weeks later in the year, so that it will be colder.
So the standard 8 inch cob heater didn't work right at the beginning but they mention that that is totally normal, it is how it is supposed to act. Tim set up a vacuum cleaner to get the temp to rise in the chimney section until it is warm enough to run on its own.
Ernie and Erica talk about how this winter they used a very very small amount of wood, even in comparison to their neighbors with a smaller home. Paul wonders if is it a possibility to only burn every other day or so in the wofati and the crew says that if the wofati gets finished, yes. The other wofati, wofati 0.7 has no heat and they need to see how cold it gets so they will have someone live in there this winter to fulfill that experiment. Erica talks about the heater in the wofati, how if you are in a climate where the temp is cooler on the inside that you will need to probably have a smaller bench.
They discuss the mold issue they had. Erica talks about how they tried to push the project to get finished in the shortest amount of time possible so there ended up being quite a lot of moisture in it and the straw had some sort of mold and so there is some mold on the bench which Paul says will go away in a few days. Erica says there just needs to be an increase in the ventilation help dry it out faster or use a different plaster that has more anti mold properties, typically ones with manures.
Next they talk about the manifold and how this is the part that most people have trouble with. They express the details of the manifold and how it helps to do some sort of small scale molding with soup cans and play dough to get people to understand it. Paul mentions that maybe it's time to put together some videos and manifold needs to be a big part of that.
The next thing the crew talks about are the test results. They used the test-o-meter for the heater at basecamp and Ernie says that it basically told them that it works within certain parameters but it is inconsistent so there is room for improvement. Erica mentions they were getting pretty decent parts per million on carbon monoxide but not as good as Peter.
They discuss the idea that the more efficient the stove, the harder it is to start. By necessity, it will be harder to start in adverse conditions like starting on a hot day, because its colder on the inside it makes it pretty hard to start. This was what happened at the labs, by the way.
Tim, who was the farm manager at PRI for a while, talks about how he has many stories but the best thing about PRI ...]]>Paul Wheatonyes54:46303 – Interview with Willie Smitshttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/76915-303-interview-willie-smits
Tue, 23 Sep 2014 20:51:43 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=76915<p>In this podcast, Paul talks with Willie Smits while he is at the labs for the Rocket Mass Heater workshop. He first talks about his university in Indonesia, and the half a million acres farm he has recently come by. Paul notes that the information about him on the internet is sparse. He is famous […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>In this podcast, Paul talks with Willie Smits while he is at the labs for the Rocket Mass Heater workshop. He first talks about his university in Indonesia, and the half a million acres farm he has recently come by.Willie Smits while he is at the labs for the Rocket Mass Heater workshop. He first talks about his university in Indonesia, and the half a million acres farm he has recently come by. Paul notes that the information about him on the internet is sparse. He is famous for being able to increase rainfall by 25% on 5,000 acres initially. He talks about that a bit more in detail but concludes by saying that if you bring back the trees, you bring back the rain.
So the first question is from Burra:
"I'd like to know his thoughts on what the rest of us could be doing. What problems does he see in other parts of the world that we could address using permaculture principles? Where are we slacking? What does he dream that he could inspire by making this podcast? "
Willie starts by saying what he is trying to do, which is bring some transparency into all of this, to develop systems that lead to solutions. He notes that nature has been around longer than us, that it has been total and successful system converting energy and keeping biodiverstiy in place so we need to mimic it. He says this can be done when we put people and planet before profit. They talk a little bit about how Willie spoke about permaculture on a really enormous scale at the Permaculture Voices conference and how those videos are available for purchase online here.
Next question comes from Duane:
"I don't have a specific question

but would like him to discuss his "rainforest"

and his current views on "getting things done"
Willie has a very simple answer to this one, keep spreading the message and try to talk to the public about all of this.
The next few questions come from Q Kealoha:
"Soil sucks here; pure adobe with top soil nonexistent due to severe run off and lock of organic material. currently attempting a Back to Eden garden approach. your recommendations for best way to build the soil?"
Willie affirms that breadfruit trees are a good choice for this type of situation. He mentions a few other species and goes on to say that they will probably need biochar and compost.

Paul asks a question about organic matter sitting on top of the soil. He thought that the half life might be a couple of days in those tropical climates. However, Willie assures that it is not that bad, but if you have biochar and compost you have a much more stable build up. Also, if you can cool the soil, it won’t decompose as quickly. He talks about this technique existing within the three sisters technique - bean, corn, and squash.
They talk a bit more about soils in tropical climates, how they are much different, more like cement almost, because all the nutrients are in the plants and vegetation. Paul mentions a surprising fact he just learned recently - tropical seeds are viable for only 2 weeks or less, you just cannot store the seeds in anyway.
Lastly, Q Kealoha asks when Willie and Paul are going ...]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:14:54302 – Interview With Diana Leafe Christian Part 1https://richsoil.com/permaculture/76871-302-interview-diana-leafe-christian
Fri, 12 Sep 2014 17:25:09 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=76871<p>In this podcast Paul interviews Diana Leafe Christian, author of two books on community living, and editor of Communities magazine for fourteen years. Her basis of knowledge is her interaction with an extraordinarily large number of intentional communities - her current count is about 134 communities around the globe. She's found that only a tiny […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>In this podcast Paul interviews Diana Leafe Christian, author of two books on community living, and editor of Communities magazine for fourteen years. Her basis of knowledge is her interaction with an extraordinarily large number of intentional communi...Diana Leafe Christian, author of two books on community living, and editor of Communities magazine for fourteen years. Her basis of knowledge is her interaction with an extraordinarily large number of intentional communities - her current count is about 134 communities around the globe. She's found that only a tiny fraction of communities kick off and survive for any length of time, and she's trying to help more of them succeed at this.
Diana relates the story of Earth Haven's establishment and how they got the property paid off in seven years.
Paul sent Diana the jump drive jar but she didn't realize that it had data in it! So she probably hasn't listened to any of the newer podcasts, since the intentional communities podcast in 2012. However, she does have a new thought on founder's syndrome that she wants to share but that'll have to wait for part 2 because first, she talks about:
THE THREE ASPECTS OF A THRIVING COMMUNITY
Diana describes a diagram like a donut, divided into three equal segments:
Segment 1: Community Glue. All the shared experiences of work and play that build trust, gratitude, and connection - the oxytocin triggers that build a sort of community immune system for when things get stressful. Diana passes on a piece of advice from Geoph Kozeny (probably the most knowledgeable human about intentional community building while he was still alive): that the single most important piece of glue you can have is a minimum of four shared meals a week.
Segment 2: Good Process and Communication Skills. Diana strongly encourages training in Nonviolent Communication and Nondefensive Communication, and recommends Taking the War Out of Our Words by Sharon Strand Ellison. (Link below) Paul and Diana discuss how these tools may be used for good or evil. Paul shares his recipe for community (a central leader and good glue), conflict resolution (repairing differences in knowledge base), and communication (patience).
Segment 3: Effective Project Management. Or, how to run the business-like facets of the community, and also how to communicate your vision, policies, and process effectively to prospective and current members.
Final Segment (the donut-hole): Governance and Decision making. Or, what does your community make decisions about, and how do you make those decisions? Also, when consensus (in its many many variations) is and isn't right for a community. Diana mentions two specific forms of consensus that may be more useful for many communities: Holacracy and Sociocracy. This central aspect has the same reinforcing relationship with the outer pieces of the community puzzle.
Paul wants to recognize the immense amount of work that has been put into each of these aspects in other communities, but that he is having some success at shortcutting all this by having the comparatively simpler system of a central leader. Diana will share her new thoughts on this...in part 2!
Relevant ThreadsIntentional Community Forum

]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:05:34301- Laboratory Update Part 3https://richsoil.com/permaculture/76847-301-laboratory-update-part-3
Mon, 08 Sep 2014 21:36:59 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=76847<p>Paul starts this podcast off by mentioning how they have a new couple to live in the tipi because Tony and Emily are moving on to other adventures. Then they talk about their one source of drama at the lab, the pig bucket.It is just a bucket of scraps to take to the pigs but […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul starts this podcast off by mentioning how they have a new couple to live in the tipi because Tony and Emily are moving on to other adventures. Then they talk about their one source of drama at the lab, the pig bucket.tipi because Tony and Emily are moving on to other adventures. Then they talk about their one source of drama at the lab, the pig bucket.It is just a bucket of scraps to take to the pigs but it became this huge problem. They discuss the details and share how they resolved it. Similarly, they are now putting labels on everything for all the new people. They talk about other community issues and resolutions for quite a while.
Next, they move into talking about the 41 Sepp Holzer grains that they recently obtained. Richard planted 21 of the seeds from Sepp Holzer and had a 100% germination success! So they will plant the rest of those next spring. Paul explains how excited he is to have Holzer’s grains on their place. They talk about how they now have a haybox cooker all set up that Sam made. Originally he had hay as the insulation but that really didn’t work despite its misleading name. Now they have wool in it and it is working perfectly.
Paul mentions that they have been looking at purchasing an observation journal but they are super expensive. However, they are trying to make art and aesthetics a big point so they might be buying a nice one soon. He talks about how he doesn’t actually know what it means to make aesthetics a bigger priority and that it's important to not really try to know. They talk about different ways of observation, with apps and journals. Jocelyn talks about how the observation journal is more about sitting and thinking and writing without distraction of texting so the apps aren't what they want. The idea is that you find a spot away from everything and spend about 45 minutes writing every detail of everything that you can see. What plants can you see and identify? What bug do you see? What’s in bloom right now? What does the soil look like? All these sorts of questions are important to this observation time. Paul talks about how he originally thought this was a waste of time and then he realized that he started noticing things he would never have noticed before. He had become intertwined more with the realness of the moment, although he says it is hard to describe.
They then begin discussing chef Seth coming out to the labs. Jocelyn mentions that they will not have any formal workshops but they are going to have a potluck to discuss the ideas of a permaculture kitchen. Seth teaches food preservation and butchering classes and kind of takes an urban homestead vision to that. They talk a little bit about how Seth would love to start building fodder for a book or dvd. Also they make it known that they are still looking for a new kitchen commander. They drop in the announcement that they got official word that Willie Smits will be there for sure!
Next they talk about how there have been no women at the labs. They have been brain storming ways to get more women out there and just trying to understand why there has been such a lack of women there and they think a big part of it is the construction phase that the lab is currently in.]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:06:18300- Laboratory Update Part 2https://richsoil.com/permaculture/76819-300-laboratory-update-part-2
Fri, 05 Sep 2014 00:30:17 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=76819<p>Paul begins this podcast by talking about their rumford fireplace that one of the gapper built. They talk a little bit about other projects the gappers have been working on and what all they have built. The next thing on the list they mention is the wofatis. Wofati 0.7 and wofati 0.8 still need to […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul begins this podcast by talking about their rumford fireplace that one of the gapper built. They talk a little bit about other projects the gappers have been working on and what all they have built. The next thing on the list they mention is the wo...rumford fireplace that one of the gapper built. They talk a little bit about other projects the gappers have been working on and what all they have built.
The next thing on the list they mention is the wofatis. Wofati 0.7 and wofati 0.8 still need to be fully buried. Paul mentions how he is kind of frustrated with how much time and money they ended up taking. There is talk of a 10x10 wofati that would be built for under 200 dollars in less than two days not including log prep.
They talk about how much storage they need and why they need to take care of that before anything. They need space for electric cars, firewood storage, a welding shed, and parking. After the Rocket Mass Heater event, they will build the 10x10 wofati and Berm shed, which will be an Oehler structure. He talks about how some decisions were made with the wofatis that went against his wishes so the berm and 10x10 wofati will be all his ideas.
The other thing they discuss is art and aesthetics. They are really going to be focusing on this now. They want to get more growies outside and start beautifying the inside as well. They want to bring in art and right now they are coming up with names and having gappers create artistic signs. They did build a terrace for the pooper and shower shack and another terrace-like thing for the bone yard. He also has built the submarine road where they can bring soil for gardens.
Paul and Jocelyn feel like they needed to make a few things clear. One of them being that their primary goal is not to be a market garden. If someone living on their land wants to make a market garden happen, they say go for it. They talk about how they like the idea of fiefdoms but no one here has business ideas yet.
Paul talks about he has been putting a lot of time into figuring out how amazon works. He's been trying to infect brains through retail channels but it is super frustrating.
They talk about how they are now managing 300 acres. Another 238 acres is still up for sale that is technically 3 parcels of land. So maybe 3 different permies wanted to do that. 100,000 a chunk. If you are interested, send Jocelyn or Paul an email.
Paul talks a bit about his rolling shelves that are turning out to be great. Basically it is just 3 enormous shelves that have wheels on them so they can move them out of the way if need be. The hot water from the compost had some fails but they have fixed it. They talk about how they have a network of trails and 6 tent pads. They have sand in them. Each tent pad is getting a name. They have so much sand that they even want to make a volleyball court.
They harvested two gallons of honey from their bee hives in the...]]>Paul Wheatonyes58:19299 – Laboratory Update Part 1https://richsoil.com/permaculture/76815-299-laboratory-update
Tue, 02 Sep 2014 22:20:22 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=76815<p>In this podcast, Paul and Jocelyn discuss the progress going on at the lab. They take a bit of time to go over the reasons why the haven't done a podcast in a while, and the main one is the whole getting money thing. They talk about different money expenses and how this year has […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>In this podcast, Paul and Jocelyn discuss the progress going on at the lab. They take a bit of time to go over the reasons why the haven't done a podcast in a while, and the main one is the whole getting money thing.
Paul does announce that there will be no formal workshops in 2015. They briefly discuss the excitement going around the labs due to the Rocket Mass Heater workshopcoming up.They are open to other people coordinating and facilitating a workshop at their place, that would be fine.
Moving on to what's been going on at the lab, Paul tells us how the gappers found a massive huckleberry patch about 10 miles from the lab and have been harvesting service berries all summer. They talk about how they do have goals and plans for a permaculture kitchen garden but their priories have been building habitat.
They talk about the dump truck catastrophes and Paul mentions how they have some really good long term gappers and how helpful that is for making plans for the future.
Next,they start in and get to sharing about some of the projects going on. They have the two poopers that are fully functioning but now, for the next year they can put a lot more focus on aesthetics. They discuss how they have been focusing on how to get people to want to use the poopers outside rather than inside. There has been all sorts of optimization including how to deal with menstruation in the pooper.
They discuss the berms that got planted a little late. They are pumping out some food including lots of peas that are done. Jocelyn explains that they trucked in soil from the laboratory because the base camp is very rocky. She talks a little bit about their 12 foot high berm with a walking ledge but mentions it is super steep so hard to plant.
Paul and Jocelyn mention how they celebrated the one year anniversary of moving to the land on June 3. They talk about how far they have come since they first got here. So much has gotten done even though it seems like there is so much to be done still.
Next they talk about the sawmill improvements they have made. They have done a lot to make pumping wood out easier and consistent. Paul talks about the specific changes that have been made. In general they have been training specific people to do specific things because they will be here for a long time and so it is nice to know that the knowledge will be here for a while.
Relevant LinksKristie's Weekly-ish Pics

Winter Shelters for the Lab
You can discuss this podcast on this thread at Permies.Get all of the podcasts in convenient, giant zip files ]]>Paul Wheatonyes46:07298 – PermaEthos Part 2https://richsoil.com/permaculture/76552-298-permaethos-part-2
Mon, 07 Jul 2014 01:07:06 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=76552<p>In podcast 298, Paul continues his discussion with Jack Spirko, from The Survival Podcast, and Josiah Wallingford, from Brink of Freedom, about their latest project, PermaEthos. Jack and Josiah begin by talking about the opportunity to be an Element Partner with them on one of their farms. Basically, an element partner would find an element […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>In podcast 298, Paul continues his discussion with Jack Spirko, from The Survival Podcast, and Josiah Wallingford, from Brink of Freedom, about their latest project, PermaEthos. Jack and Josiah begin by talking about the opportunity to be an Element Pa...The Survival Podcast, and Josiah Wallingford, from Brink of Freedom, about their latest project, PermaEthos. Jack and Josiah begin by talking about the opportunity to be an Element Partner with them on one of their farms. Basically, an element partner would find an element of the farm that they want to work with and come up with a business plan regarding that specific element. Then the partner would talk about it with Jack and Jo and if they approve, they will help you start up, develop, and establish your business. This doesn’t have to be a 20 page business plan but they are expecting the prospective partners to put a lot of thought into it. He gives the example of Michael, the bee guy who is going to start up a little bee products business at Elisha’s Farm.
The guys compare and contrast the element partners of PermaEthos to Joel Salatin’s Fiefdoms for quite a while. They then talk about the risks and challenges of having other people doing business on your land. Jack emphasizes how serious of a business man he is and how he expects his partners, even the element parters, to bring the same realistic mind-set to their farm.
The next thing the guys approach is ethics. Paul notes that this has been an ongoing argument between him and Jack for years. For the sake of keeping this summary less than twenty pages, we will just say Paul prefers to leave ethics out of the conversation. He believes this because he has seen that when you teach the permaculture techniques, ethics automatically come with it. On the opposing side Jack believes that you must teach ethics first and foremost because if they were practiced the way they were originally defined, they would develop the solutions for you.
Once they finish up their lengthy ethics discussion, Paul steers the conversation back to PermaEthos. He makes sure that his pod people know that anyone can find all of this information at permaethos.com if they are interested. The last big thing Jack and Jo have to announce is PermaEthos TV. They are super excited about this because they have an experienced, passionate tv producer who will be making an actually real reality show about permaculture and he is starting at Elisha’s Farms. He will simply document the real events that go on day to day and people can see the ins and outs of how a permaculture farm is designed and ran. You can subscribe to this very soon and if you sign up for the newsletter at permaethos.com they will definitely let you know when that will be available.
The guys talk a little bit about the hindrance the government has on positive changes in this country and then wrap up with a debate about kickstarter. Paul likes it. Jack doesn’t. You can hear the dirty details in the podcast.
Relevant Links

Podcast 054 - Jack Spirko on Modern Survivalism
Credit: Cassie Langstraat
]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:27:17297 – PermaEthos Part 1https://richsoil.com/permaculture/76523-297-permaethos-part-1
Thu, 03 Jul 2014 12:56:39 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=76523<p>In podcast 297, Paul chats with Jack Spirko, from The Survival Podcast, and Josiah Wallingford, from Brink of Freedom, about their new project, PermaEthos. Paul claims they contacted him just to brag about the funding they got, all without kickstarter. However Jack and Jos expressed they were just happy that 8% of their community’s money […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>In podcast 297, Paul chats with Jack Spirko, from The Survival Podcast, and Josiah Wallingford, from Brink of Freedom, about their new project, PermaEthos. Paul claims they contacted him just to brag about the funding they got,The Survival Podcast, and Josiah Wallingford, from Brink of Freedom, about their new project, PermaEthos. Paul claims they contacted him just to brag about the funding they got, all without kickstarter. However Jack and Jos expressed they were just happy that 8% of their community’s money didn’t have to go to some website.
The guys talk a little bit about how the project was funded and where that money will be going to. A lot of it will be going to a videographer who will make the online PDC Jack and Jos will be giving once things get up and running.
Jack then goes into explaining how the first PermaEthos farm will work. Him and Josiah took on two additional partners, Kevin and Charlie. These guys are their partners because they share certain investments and funds. But in a way they are their first clients as well. Jack and Josiah are taking the farm that Kevin and Charlie already own, Elisha’s Spring, and making it into a complete permaculture design. They will then stamp the title PermaEthos on the farm and the owners can use that to market their products.
So essentially, getting Elisha’s Spring all fixed up and running will provide them with a template to apply to the other farms they get hired to give permaculture makeovers too. For this, they came up with a model where they partner with the land owner and they install a staff made up of a head farm steward, a couple of tenant farmers, and some Wwopfers. They then design, build, develop, and establish that farm.
They discuss how they make decisions about who pays for things based on if they are fully for profit generation or not. They also have a full permaculture design board that has to give the okay for all of the projects. So, they make this a fully functioning farm (they get more into what that entails later) and then move on to the next farm that wants to be permaculture-ified.
Paul takes a quick second to slip in an announcement about an opportunity for English speakers (they will have translators and set up all the transportation) to go to Sepp Holzer’s place in Austria. Zach Weiss is selling tickets and there is a coupon deal through permies! More info about it here.
The guys talk a little bit about what it means to be up fully working and they conclude that it has to do with profit. If it is all functioning, feeding everyone, and making a profit, then it has worked and they can move on to the next farm. Paul mentions that he predicts it will take him about three years to get to that point on his own land. Jos chimes in and says that the goal for the first year is to just get everyone fed.
Next they discuss the buildings that were already on the land when the new owners got it, and what they plan to build in the near future. Josiah has dreams of being a little hobbit in a wofati but is not sure if or when that will happen.
The guys switch gears a little bit and get back into talking about how PermaEthos is the template that basically requires certain things that absolutely have to happen and that Jack and Josiah personally oversee. Although all of the information and plans are open source, not just anyone can call their farm PermaEthos. Anyone can use the techniques they are teaching, but no one can claim to own them or patent them.
]]>Paul Wheatonyes57:15296 – Solar Powered Homestead Part 4https://richsoil.com/permaculture/76442-296-solar-powered-homestead-part-4
Wed, 02 Jul 2014 01:47:54 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=76442<p>In podcast 296, Paul, Rick, Jason, Steve Heckeroth, and Stuart Davis finish up their discussion of the solar workshop. They briefly touch upon one more battery: a lead acid battery from a fork lift. This is a much taller battery that has a far longer lifespan than other lead acid batteries. However, it is often […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>In podcast 296, Paul, Rick, Jason, Steve Heckeroth, and Stuart Davis finish up their discussion of the solar workshop. They briefly touch upon one more battery: a lead acid battery from a fork lift. This is a much taller battery that has a far longer l...solar workshop. They briefly touch upon one more battery: a lead acid battery from a fork lift. This is a much taller battery that has a far longer lifespan than other lead acid batteries. However, it is often quite expensive.
Paul then brings up an idea that he has seen thrown around a lot but never actually implemented. Basically, you would build a pond on high, your solar system would pump water up into the pond, then you would have a micro hydro system to harvest that water, you would have 3 generators down at the end of the pipe and a controller which would activate valves to allow water to the generators depending on demand so the pond would effectively act as a battery made of water. They talk about how, because of recent technology, this might now be a possibility because there could be a way to program a controller to do this sort of thing.
The crew chats a little bit more about micro hyrdro systems and then move on to the biggest part of the workshop, electric vehicles. Paul talks about the four electrical vehicles they have at the laboratory and goes into more detail about the polaris. He tells the story of how the batteries in the polaris were boiling when they first got it. Various people told him different advice in regards to this but everyone in this podcast came to the conclusion that the boiling is only okay once every three months, and only for a controlled duration for about two hours.
Then the guys talk a little bit about what the real purpose of these vehicles are, and that it probably isn’t for daily farm use. Paul teases Steve for thinking that his electric tractors might have a chance of winning tug of war against Tim’s truck. Steve admits that he only claimed that before he actually saw Tim’s truck, and is bowing out of that hypothetical contest.
Paul brings the conversation back to the other problems with the Polaris. Not only did the batteries boil constantly but whenever they plugged the polaris in to charge, it would lose all the charge it had. After much contemplation and poking around, they realized that the wiring was set up backwards.
Steve then clarifies what the “low” gear on the Polaris actually does. It limits the RPMs on the motor because the highest, best power on the motor is at the lowest RPMs. He further explains that it does depend on which kind of motor it is (DC or AC) but the lower RPM has higher torque and lower speed.
Paul talks of another modification they made to the Polaris. There is now a DC to DC charger so that you can take an auxiliary pack and stick it on the back of the Polaris and it can run on that instead of the internal power pack. He says he would like to have 6 to 7 auxiliary packs or be able to just access the solar leviathan wherever. The solar leviathan also has a DC to DC charger so the charge can happen in a very short amount of time.
One of the guys does warn that there are dangers in doing this because hydrogen is created when doing this sort of charging. It could explode if you do not take the caps off. Paul brings us back to how it is scary trusting human discipline for anything so this might not be the best idea.
The last big topic they get into is the solar leviathan.]]>Paul Wheatonyes59:46295 – Solar Powered Homestead Part 3https://richsoil.com/permaculture/76439-295-solar-powered-homestead-part-3
Sun, 29 Jun 2014 19:30:17 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=76439<p>In podcast 295 Paul, Rick, Jason, Steve Heckeroth, and Stuart Davis continue talking about the projects they experimented with at the solar workshop. They began by discussing their time spent with fresnel lens. They did indeed manage to get some stuff set on fire but for the most part it was pretty cloudy, making it […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>In podcast 295 Paul, Rick, Jason, Steve Heckeroth, and Stuart Davis continue talking about the projects they experimented with at the solar workshop. They began by discussing their time spent with fresnel lens.solar workshop. They began by discussing their time spent with fresnel lens. They did indeed manage to get some stuff set on fire but for the most part it was pretty cloudy, making it ineffective. Paul describes how his main points regarding the fresnel lenses involved safety. He talks about how there are few practical uses for them besides setting shit on fire. He goes on to explain that they can work fine when you use them for small indoor things like reading but when you get the sun involved, they get freakishly dangerous.
The guys briefly jump back into discussing Tim's truck and mull over the type of inverter he used. The inverter Tim wanted needed to have 3000 watt capabilities for running big power tools. So he ended up getting one with a hybrid sine wave. However, the guys talk about how the modified sine wave makes motorized things, anything with induction in fact, sad. If monitored, this can work but Paul says it's better not to depend on human discipline.
Moving right along, Paul brings up his preference of tractors over horses. The guys consider how horses take up a lot of space and rarely get used enough to justify their presence on a homestead. They talk a little bit about other animals and the pains that goats often cause.
The next topic that gets covered is the voltswagon. They discuss its original design failures and talk about how the new trailer Tim is making is much better. The new one has a much stronger frame to hold the heavy batteries but is still small enough for electric vehicles to pull. They then consider the problem of the actual solar panels being sufficient to run the saw mill,which was the voltswagon's original purpose. It seems close to impossible to switch the voltages but one of the guys does mention possible optimization.
The crew then dives into deliberating the whole idea of biodiesel and biogas. They sort of come to the conclusion that these processes are fine if they are using waste products, but when it turns into a whole new excuse for tons of land to be used in a unproductive monocrop way, it becomes a bad idea.
The last topic they get to in this portion of the podcast is different types of batteries. Steve spends some time advocating for lithium batteries for various reasons. For his tractors, lead acid work fine because they need the heavy weight but the lighter lithium batteries work way better for electric cars. They also last 3 times as long.
This leads them into a consideration of nickel iron batteries. They have a way longer lifespan than lead acid or lithium batteries, but they are not as readily available or even known about. In addition the nickel iron isn't as toxic as lead. However, these nickel iron batteries cost way more and discharge themselves quite a lot more than the alternatives. So, the guys conclude this topic by noting that there is definitely room for optimization with the nickel iron batteries but they could potentially end up being awesome.
Relevant LinksWheaton Laboratories Electric Tractor

yes1:03:30294 – Solar Powered Homestead Part 2https://richsoil.com/permaculture/76432-294-solar-powered-homestead-part-2
Thu, 26 Jun 2014 20:25:07 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=76432<p>In Podcast 294 Paul, Rick, Jason, Steve Heckeroth, and Stuart Davis continue their review of the solar workshop. They begin by noting the power of one image on Steve’s presentation that demonstrated the massive amounts of solar energy the sun gave in the last 100 years compared to the tiny amount of petroleum we have […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>In Podcast 294 Paul, Rick, Jason, Steve Heckeroth, and Stuart Davis continue their review of the solar workshop. They begin by noting the power of one image on Steve’s presentation that demonstrated the massive amounts of solar energy the sun gave in t...
The guys then get into discussing why they prefer DC loads, and what kind of voltages are appropriate for a house. They decide that 48 volts is probably the magic number considering a 48 volt pack can end up getting up to 60 volts.
Paul talks a little bit about the monetary technicalities of this workshop and how they might need to find a new, more economic way to run them.
Paul then brings up the love shack which is basically a tiny house, but even smaller. It is on a skiddable structure that he thought would do fine with 200 watt solar panels but that hasn’t exactly been the case. He brainstorms heating it with an incandescent light but realizes that would probably take up too much power. This leads them into a discussion of LED and incandescent lights. They talk about each of their benefits and drawbacks.
They go back to thinking about the loveshack and discuss the possibilities of using masts or just eventually moving it to a different place with the skids.
Relevant LinksLove Shack Thread

Solar WallNickel Iron Batteries
Credits: Cassie Langstraat
You can discuss this podcast on this thread at Permies.]]>Paul Wheatonyes44:20293 – Solar Powered Homestead Part 1https://richsoil.com/permaculture/76423-solar-homestead
Tue, 24 Jun 2014 23:37:21 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=76423<p>In this podcast, Paul, Rick, Jason, Steve Heckeroth, and Stuart Davis summarize the week long solar workshop that just took place at the laboratory. Paul starts off by talking about the skiddable bee hut that teepee dwellers, Tony and Emily, finished this week. He also announces that Tony and Emily are leaving so they are […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>In this podcast, Paul, Rick, Jason, Steve Heckeroth, and Stuart Davis summarize the week long solar workshop that just took place at the laboratory. Paul starts off by talking about the skiddable bee hut that teepee dwellers, Tony and Emily,
Paul starts off by talking about the skiddable bee hut that teepee dwellers, Tony and Emily, finished this week. He also announces that Tony and Emily are leaving so they are looking for someone, preferably a couple, to live in the teepee and continue experimenting with the rocket mass heater.
Paul and the crew then start in on talking about the week and note that the weather was less than ideal. They thought the week before solstice would be perfect for lots of solar projects but forgot that June gets the highest rainfall of the year in Montana. So, the first two days ended up being a lot of indoor presentations.
Paul takes a second to boast that after a disagreement regarding CFL's, Steve has finally agreed that he too likes LED lights much better than the alternative.
One of the first presentations was the How To for the electric tractor by Steve Heckeroth. He presented his newer model which has 48 volts, a loader, a PTO, 3 point hitch, 2- wheel drive, and 24 horse power. It also has the ability to have 2 swappable battery packs along with the fixed one underneath the seat.
Another project they worked on was the House Backup Power, a concept Steven Harris brought onto the scene. Basically, it is a set of batteries that gets all charged up so that you can use them when the power goes out instead of a noisy, expensive generator. Someone else notes that Steven uses this in combination with emergency power from the back of a truck.
Paul takes a second to mention the land next to theirs got bought by friends of his who want him to manage it. They want to do some deep roots stuff there and are offering two acres for $8,000 in the first section and two acres for $16,000 on any section. They are very "pro-child" and would like to have families living here. Check out if this offer is still available here.
The guys take a while to discuss huckleberry pie, their all-time favorite pies, and other Missoula treats.
Then they begin discussing the Heliostat, which is currently having some problems. The idea is that no matter where the sun is, it will keep a certain spot illuminated as long as the sun is out but it is having some problems at the moment.
On to the "Tale of Two Poopers", as Paul titles it. He talks about one pooper that took them 3 months to build that had some problems and compared it to the new one that only took 2 days to build. The second one has a solar element in having one solar panel, a battery, and a fan so the air pressure is lower where the poopy bits are and the air pressure is higher where the people are. This design has been very successful.
They talk a little bit more about composting toilets, Steve's awesome stump outhouse, and how they have been letting the poo from the laboratory's pooper hang out in a sealed bucket with some black soldier flies. It should be done soon.
The last project they talk about on this podcast is Tim's truck. It is another idea by Steven Harris, just a little beefed up. Basically, it is a big toolbox that has batteries, a charge controller, and an inverter in it with wires that run up to the alternator. The theory is that when you have excess electricity, it charges the batteries in the back of the truck.]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:12:52292 – Review of the Permaculture Orchardhttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/76339-permaculture-orchard
Tue, 27 May 2014 21:15:06 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=76339<p>Jocelyn, Sam and the recently crowned (by Sepp Holzer) Duke Paul Wheaton review The Permaculture Orchard movie by Olivier Asselin that features Stefan Sobkowiak. Note: Paul is the Supreme Executive Producer with Bacon, Cheese and Sparkles for the movie. Stefan's goal was to convert a traditional rowed orchard, in Quebec, into a more earth friendly […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Jocelyn, Sam and the recently crowned (by Sepp Holzer) Duke Paul Wheaton review The Permaculture Orchard movie by Olivier Asselin that features Stefan Sobkowiak. Note: Paul is the Supreme Executive Producer with Bacon,recently crowned (by Sepp Holzer) Duke Paul Wheaton review The Permaculture Orchard movie by Olivier Asselin that features Stefan Sobkowiak. Note: Paul is the Supreme Executive Producer with Bacon, Cheese and Sparkles for the movie. Stefan's goal was to convert a traditional rowed orchard, in Quebec, into a more earth friendly permaculture environment as well as being certified organic.
The topic opens with accolades to the perma-band, Formidable Vegetables, who play throughout the textbook like presentation.
All of them feel this is good intro to permaculture in a clear and succinct format for anyone fairly new to the concept. There are several comments on whether a permaculture orchard is even possible, especially with the concentration of apple trees vs a broader variety including locust and nuts. Further discussion evolves about the mulch being used as well as permaculture being "beyond organic" especially with the synthetics allowed under the current organic regulations.
Sam addresses that the site selection is of great importance with water table and drainage concerns. They also discuss the necessary diligence taken with wind protection, micro climates and frost movement. Paul prefers the middle ground, on a slope not only for orchards, but gardens, your home aka everything!
Paul takes exception to Stefan's comment "you're just going to have grass" and some of his aggressive pruning techniques. Discussion moves to the "trio" of trees Stefan outlines in his plan and Paul mentions that he would prefer 1 out of 10 trees being fruit.
Jocelyn shared the best "fun fact" that birds prefer honeysuckle to cherries. No one was familiar (nor was I) of this deterrent.
They mentioned "Broken Limbs" movie and how in this documentary the trees are vastly spread out, no sprays etc and loads of animals.
Discussion moved to dwarf trees that Stepan prefers as well as his preference of planting very young trees to the "grow from seed" that both Paul and Sepp Holzer prefer.
Paul's Closed Canopy Organic Gardening video was also mentioned and they discussed how there was so much stuff planted and no grass. All agree that this is a must watch presentation as well.
All agreed that the movie was excellent and worth watching.
Credits: Marianne Cooper
You can discuss this podcast on this thread at Permies.]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:32:29291 – Beacon Food Foresthttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/76351-291-beacon-food-forest
Tue, 27 May 2014 03:38:56 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=76351<p>Paul and Jocelyn are recording a podcast at the Beacon food forest in Seattle. They sorta snuck out there to visit a friend in the hospital, but took some time to visit this permaculture project and record a podcast. First, Paul talks about a visit he made months ago to a Dave Jacke workshop in […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul and Jocelyn are recording a podcast at the Beacon food forest in Seattle. They sorta snuck out there to visit a friend in the hospital, but took some time to visit this permaculture project and record a podcast. First,Beacon food forest in Seattle. They sorta snuck out there to visit a friend in the hospital, but took some time to visit this permaculture project and record a podcast. First, Paul talks about a visit he made months ago to a Dave Jacke workshop in Montana, where everybody's plans for the less than 2 acre site left it pretty much flat, and Paul wanted to put in 15' tall berms, with paths and tunnels, to shield the site from its surroundings. He always wanted to make a podcast with Jack Spirko about it (Jack was also at the workshop) but it never happened. Paul felt like the folks were looking for “landscaping” and calling it “permaculture.” For Paul, art is done by an independent visionary, not by committee.
Then they spend some time talking about the Beacon food forest project in Seattle. A lot of money has been spent, apparently on plumbing. There are communal places, and lots of little individual sites that people are renting. (Interesting fact: those are called “P-patches” in Seattle, instead of community gardens.) There are some things here that Paul hasn't seen before and thinks are cool.
Jocelyn points out that in an urban situation where real estate is expensive, the only way a large scale project could occur is within a pretty large community. Here in Seattle, the whole site is 7 acres and they've got between one and two acres planted up thus far. Paul likes how they have created informational signage for the food forest: embedded in ceramic tiles, with images and multiple languages. He notes that although some of them say “food forest” he hasn't seen the word “permaculture” on a tile. They do describe how the idea for this project came up during a PDC, which is pretty cool. Jocelyn says you will see the word permaculture at their website: beaconfoodforest.org
Paul looks around, and (of course) he would prefer to have more earthworks. They have some nice terraces, he'd like them bigger and wider. He'd like some berms, ideally hugelkultur berms. He'd like curving, non symmetrical hugelkultur beds arranged in pleasing patterns that have frost alleys to move the cold air down to that street there.
Urbanite is broken up concrete - this has been used for the terraces at the Beacon food forest. Paul remembers his dad saying that growies don't like cement, he has some reservations about using concrete. He'd rather not use a bunch of things that other folks use, like cardboard, or municipal compost, or municipal wood chips. Still, although Paul would do this differently, he sees how in four or five years this site is going to be spectacular. Jocelyn sees some nice examples of guilding, of re-use of material, and the whole thing is so pleasing to the eye it will really do a good job of introducing people to permaculture. Even their “bone yard” (storage area for excess materials) is neat and tidy.
Paul thinks that in a few years there will be a lot of food coming out of this spot, although pests like raccoons might come to be a problem. He notes the honey bee hives are being kept safe from the public by a woven wire fence. The fence has been enhanced with branches woven into the fence, looking fun and making the fence so much nicer to look at. Paul likes the idea of people saying “Hey, you know what would be cool?” and then doing cool stuff. He's looking forward to that sort of thing happening at the laboratory.
Paul would really like to see them put in a lemon tree site, something bending the climate. Seattle can get down to 10 degrees in the winter, but Paul figures that with the right earthworks it could...]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:08:32290 – Increasing the Velocity of Permaculturehttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/76294-permaculture-velocity
Fri, 16 May 2014 12:54:28 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=76294<p>This is the audio for Paul's keynote presentation at Permaculture Voices 2014. He starts the presentation by talking about what he has done: the rocket mass heater dvd , the cards, the world domination gardening dvd. He then gives a bit of background on what has happened at the wheaton laboratories. He then moves on […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>This is the audio for Paul's keynote presentation at Permaculture Voices 2014. He starts the presentation by talking about what he has done: the rocket mass heater dvd , the cards, the world domination gardening dvd.
He starts the presentation by talking about what he has done: the rocket mass heater dvd , the cards, the world domination gardening dvd. He then gives a bit of background on what has happened at the wheaton laboratories.
He then moves on to talk about how as a software engineer he has a unique perspective on permaculture. Paul talks about how he has two online communities, one about software engineering (code ranch) and the other, well, about permaculture (permies). He goes on and explains that problem seldom happen at code ranch whereas there is ick every other day at permies.
He then goes on about how permaculturist face self hatred as well as corporate trolls.
Paul explains that he thinks there are not more prominent women in permaculture because good hearted people don't want anything to do with all the hate there is.
He ends his talk by saying that if we want to increase the velocity of permaculture, we have to embrace the concept that there are many artisans and many schools of thoughts.
The video recording of the presentation is available on the permaculture voices website.
You can discuss this podcast on this thread at Permies.]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:13:00289 – Update from Wheaton Laboratories Part 2https://richsoil.com/permaculture/76193-wheaton-laboratories-2
Thu, 17 Apr 2014 01:46:52 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=76193<p>Podcast 289 begins with a synopsis of future workshops. Please see links for full information as they all offer some different time frames. cost , etc. There is still room for all workshops. The first is in June (16-20) with the solar/electric workshop featuring Steve Heckeroth (5 days). This is followed by the Wofati workshop […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Podcast 289 begins with a synopsis of future workshops. Please see links for full information as they all offer some different time frames. cost , etc. There is still room for all workshops. The first is in June (16-20) with the solar/electric worksh...
The first is in June (16-20) with the solar/electric workshop featuring Steve Heckeroth (5 days).
This is followed by the Wofati workshop (4 weeks June 30- July 26).
The final workshop is the Rocket Mass Heater innovators workshop (Sept. 19- Oct. 3. Pick your own dates/programs, see link)
The woodshed on skids is finished and the pros and cons are chatted over since it has been put into use.
The comforts of the tee pee with the rocket mass heater (it got down to 26 below 0 this winter) are brought up it sounds like it held up well (heat output).
The group then takes on several small topics of interest including: the Polaris and its usefulness at snow removal, living in close quarters (and its politics), hay box cookers, the roads and their maintenance, compost showers, Ford Rangers, Tim's welding skills +, a Jocelyn arm, update!
The deep roots and shallow roots program is presented for those interested in moving out to the wheaton laboratories in a longer term situation.
Paul's dailyish email is gone over with its purpose and why it is a good thing for you to read and as soon as you get it and how being a referrer or forwarder is rewarded so click here to sign up.
Credits: Rob Young
You can discuss this podcast on this thread at Permies.]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:25:30288 – Update from Wheaton Laboratories Part 1https://richsoil.com/permaculture/76170-wheaton-laboratories
Mon, 14 Apr 2014 01:39:44 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=76170<p>Lunch time at Base camp is the setting for this podcast with Paul and the group (PB, Emily, Oliver and Sam) discussing life and projects going on at the wheaton laboratories. Peaceful Valley Farm Supply is mentioned as the sponsor for a contest ($1000.00 gift certificate prize) where the contestants prove that planting tomato seeds outdoors rather […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Lunch time at Base camp is the setting for this podcast with Paul and the group (PB, Emily, Oliver and Sam) discussing life and projects going on at the wheaton laboratories. Peaceful Valley Farm Supply is mentioned as the sponsor for a contest ($1000....Peaceful Valley Farm Supply is mentioned as the sponsor for a contest ($1000.00 gift certificate prize) where the contestants prove that planting tomato seeds outdoors rather than transplanting them is much better. Paul gives the details on the parameters of the contest. The contest ends in October. See this thread for more details.
The lemon tree project is discussed along with others: a pond, a Hugelkulture bed, a swale and a terrace.
The woofer program on the land is now called gappers(Goofy About Permaculture).This term gives more flexibility, leverage and vagueness to those who visit the land. Paul's Gapper program is compared with other programs (Bullock Brothers, Ben Falk) and why Paul's may be better or not.
The podcast then turns to Paul's brother Tim. Their childhood is glazed over at first and then Tim's skills are presented along with his personality. Tim is also looking for people with REAL construction skills ( he will sponsor 2) to come out and help build. (Wofati workshop, 4 weeks) Email Tim at richsoil dot com for details.
Permacultue voices conference, worm vermiculture, berms, soul labor projects, more Gappers, new babies of all types, the finishing of the Wofati and mushroom growing are also touched on as well.
Credits: Rob Young
You can discuss this podcast on this thread at Permies.]]>Paul Wheatonyes53:15287 – Reverence for Bees part 4https://richsoil.com/permaculture/76138-287-reverence-bees-part-4
Tue, 08 Apr 2014 01:49:25 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=76138<p>Part 4 of the Reverence for bees podcast with Paul and Jacqueline begins with the colony collapse disorder topic and how they both feel it is due to stress. Pesticides/Herbicides are a form of stress as well. They also discuss how research is done and how it lacks in actual, factual data due to not […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Part 4 of the Reverence for bees podcast with Paul and Jacqueline begins with the colony collapse disorder topic and how they both feel it is due to stress. Pesticides/Herbicides are a form of stress as well.colony collapse disorder topic and how they both feel it is due to stress. Pesticides/Herbicides are a form of stress as well. They also discuss how research is done and how it lacks in actual, factual data due to not observing the bees over time not just a quick one time observation. Paul also suggests his idea of why the chem ag companies are researching this disorder as well and makes some future predictions on new laws and new products and the ways they will be advertised and administrated. Jacqueline chimes in that most people are not reading the instructions on how to spray the chem-ag products as well.
Paul reveals that Kraft and Nabisco are 2 of his least favorite food companies and tells why.
Mites are then discussed and the ways they can be killed- Miticides. They talk of the organic ways of dealing with this and the treatment free method. It seems their conclusion is: Don't poison bad things (mold, mites)-build up the health of the overall colony so they can take on the natural! Migratory beekeeping is then tackled as to what it is, how they do it and how and why they continue to stay in the business. Some hives can travel up to 10,000 per year driven around on the back of semi tractor trailers. Monocrops are the cause of this business model.
The thought of importing bees from other countries is given a quick overview- pro's and cons.Powdered sugar is discussed how, why, and why not to use this as a treatment. Jacqueline reviews sugar water and pollen patties- pros and cons.
99% of honey off the shelves had spores of bee diseases in them according to an FDA colony collapse study. Jacqueline suggest people to save 2 years supply of their own honey for emergencies in order to avoid giving your bees store bought honey and introducing these diseases into your own bees. She gives other suggestions as well.
The need for water station and how to build one is one of Jacqueline's favorite past times. She presents why this is so important for the colonies health and how it becomes as Paul put it "a neutral zone".
They wrap it up with 3 seasons forage, variety of forage, and, polyculture. Planting is important. Bees will pollinate only one type of flower per day, like all lavender/ all day so plant clumps of lavender together so they do not have to search all over for it. Jacqueline closes out with a list of different flowers to plant and for what times of year they are useful (3 seasons, variety and polyculture).
Bigger, better, faster in terms of business and bees is hashed out as well.
Credits: Rob Young
Useful LinksPart 3 of the interview

bees: way beyond organic, bee reverence thread at permies
You can discuss this podcast on this thread at Permies.Get all of the podcasts in convenient, giant zip files ]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:25:42286 – Reverence for Bees part 3https://richsoil.com/permaculture/76116-286-reverence-bees-round-2-part-1
Sat, 05 Apr 2014 01:46:43 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=76116<p>Jacqueline Freeman continues with Paul on an excellent discussion about beekeeping in part three. The podcast begins with the story of how Jacqueline became included on the permaculture playing cards, 6 of diamonds (beekeeping). They discuss all the ins and outs of how that came together. The bee hut and its history is then presented […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Jacqueline Freeman continues with Paul on an excellent discussion about beekeeping in part three. The podcast begins with the story of how Jacqueline became included on the permaculture playing cards, 6 of diamonds (beekeeping).permaculture playing cards, 6 of diamonds (beekeeping). They discuss all the ins and outs of how that came together.
The bee hut and its history is then presented which Paul and Jacqueline both use. The placement of the hut is then covered in good detail. (pros and cons).
The setting up of an empty hive and then how to bait it is discussed as Jacqueline gives a wonderful explanation of the term "swarm", when referring to bees of course and how it may not be what everyone thinks (worth the listen for this alone). The bait can include lemongrass oil which smells like the pheromone of the queen and is often used with beehive "debris". Different types of hives are presented 1. Langstroth hive (vertical, flat roof) good for production and somewhat time consuming. (2) Warre hives (vertical, pitched roof, hut like) designed like a hollow tree and is very hands off. (3 )Top bar hives (trough like) are horizontal and are easy to take care but the hive has a fixed amount of space and can get "honey bound". (4) Tree hive where a natural tree or part of a tree is used or happens on its own naturally. The idea of using plastic and wax are presented as not good. "Queen Excluder" is discussed as well the role of the queen herself.
"Organic" beekeeping is discussed and numbers ranging from 30-120 of different kinds of toxic chemicals were found in the wax tested on some hives prompting Paul to say that he felt a 5 mile radius of organic everything (Yours and neighbors) is needed to produce organic honey but added he thinks that if permaculture and its principles were used he thinks this could be shortened to 300 feet for 1 hive. Jacqueline suggest that bees are travelers and are naturally curious/explorers but she encourages Paul to give it a go. They discuss how your neighbors affect your bee production greatly along with mold issues. Paul finishes this portion out with a description of his bee "hut".
Credits: Rob Young
Useful LinksPart 3 of the interview

bees: way beyond organic, bee reverence thread at permies
You can discuss this podcast on this thread at Permies.Get all of the podcasts in convenient, giant zip files ]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:22:32285 – Reverence for Bees part 2https://richsoil.com/permaculture/76078-285-reverence-bees-part-2
Thu, 03 Apr 2014 00:47:46 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=76078<p>Both Paul and Jacqueline question the conventional beekeepers' approach; moreover, the harm caused by common practices. Specifically noting opening the hive weekly, allowing cooler air which leads to condensation to enter. Jacqueline quickly places plexiglass over the opening should she need to observe the hive. In addition, they agree that harvesting should only occur during […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Both Paul and Jacqueline question the conventional beekeepers' approach; moreover, the harm caused by common practices. Specifically noting opening the hive weekly, allowing cooler air which leads to condensation to enter.beekeepers' approach; moreover, the harm caused by common practices. Specifically noting opening the hive weekly, allowing cooler air which leads to condensation to enter. Jacqueline quickly places plexiglass over the opening should she need to observe the hive. In addition, they agree that harvesting should only occur during the "flow" aka the explosion of blooms in the spring. Mixing sugar water or high fructose food for the bees in second rate food, expensive and according to Paul "a lot of unnecessary work".
Further discussion regarding the boom in beekeeping and that only 7 companies are responsible for 95% of the colonies sold. The bee kits with plastic combs should be assessed. There is a growing school of thought that, unlike the marketing of bigger/better bees & bigger pre-fab combs, smaller bees have great advantage including lessening the effects of mites' laid in the cell with the bee larva. Bigger bees are in the cell longer with the growing mite. Another marketing tool is the hybrid bee, bred to be "mite resistant" when in fact there isn't enough long term knowledge and through observation they seem to be bred to be OCD about grooming - CAUTION~ Other are breeding for calm and friendly bees. These companies are mass producing bees for sale with disregard to quality. Jacqueline notes that you must ensure that the bees come from your region. A bee from an arid region will not acclimate well in a wet environment and so on.
They talk about swarming and the natural way a queen vacates the hive, soars towards the sun in a fashion that only the fastest, strongest drone could catch & mate with her; therefore, a natural partnering of healthy strong bees. Paul noted how unfair it seems to artificially inseminate a queen when she mates only once - bee rape is bad!
Discussion continues to the withdrawal or weening bees or any animal from toxic pest treatments or additives/antibiotics. It's a slow and costly process with notable losses of life. Inputting antibiotics, toxins etc all but eliminates natural defences. Paul mentions a friend that invested years and lost many rabbits through 8 generations until their natural defences were rebuilt. The same holds true for bees that come from an environment of additives and poisons.
They ended with teasing about the next podcast where they will talk about collecting swarms, setting up empty hives with essential oils.....stay tuned. Personally, I can't wait!

bees: way beyond organic, bee reverence thread at permies
You can discuss this podcast on this thread at Permies.Get all of the podcasts in convenient, giant zip files ]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:08:45284 – Reverence for Bees part 1https://richsoil.com/permaculture/76066-284-reverence-bees-part-1
Tue, 01 Apr 2014 00:11:55 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=76066<p>This podcast with Paul and Jacqueline Freeman discussing bees is one of my favorites and worth listening to, sharing and listening to again. Jacqueline and her "reverence for bees" is a self proclaimed handmaiden to the bees. They discuss her love for all animals on her farm and the interactions with them on a daily […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>This podcast with Paul and Jacqueline Freeman discussing bees is one of my favorites and worth listening to, sharing and listening to again. Jacqueline and her "reverence for bees" is a self proclaimed handmaiden to the bees.reverence for bees" is a self proclaimed handmaiden to the bees. They discuss her love for all animals on her farm and the interactions with them on a daily basis throughout all aspects of animal husbandry.
Discussion begins with toxins and manufacturers' attempts to save the bees based on short term studies of the effects of bees. Bottom line, user beware as longer term studies show DNA damage. The conventional approach to administer a toxin to kill mites also adds toxins to their food and your food.
One of the biggest problems that Jacqueline brings up is the enormous % of bees on the west coast catering to the almond industry and the short 3-4 week bloom time. It is the epitome of a mono-culture, hosting transient beekeepers to pollinate such a valuable crop and then continuing to caravan throughout the nation. Disease, mites etc travel with them as well and have assisted in the damage to the bee population. Why don't they convert some of the land to polyculture?????
Discussion continues with the natural selection of Mother Nature that the weakest link, be it a vegetable or animal, will be the natural target of pests, bacteria and disease. It is difficult to only hope, assist via plantings and pray for survival, but that's the best approach. Jacqueline talks about the wild bee population in conjunction with her honeybees and the importance of maintaining the natural balance.
They talk about the permaculture or biodiversity approach of ensuring a garden for bees - 3 seasons of food for them with a great variety in each season. Bees will travel miles to acquire what food they need, but they get stressed when food isn't within 1000's of feet and as a result the health of the hive will suffer.
Credits: Marianne Cooper
Useful LinksHoney Bees Forum

bees: way beyond organic, bee reverence thread at permies
You can discuss this podcast on this thread at Permies.Get all of the podcasts in convenient, giant zip files ]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:06:17283 – Permaculture Voiceshttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/76042-283-permaculture-voices
Mon, 24 Mar 2014 00:41:03 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=76042<p>Paul, Jocelyn and Bart are driving to the San Diego Airport from Permaculture Voices. They review their experience at the conference and express how amazing the conference was. They talk about the value of the possible videos that Diego will probably release. They talk about the amazing time they had staying in a house with […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul, Jocelyn and Bart are driving to the San Diego Airport from Permaculture Voices. They review their experience at the conference and express how amazing the conference was. They talk about the value of the possible videos that Diego will probably r...Permaculture Voices. They review their experience at the conference and express how amazing the conference was. They talk about the value of the possible videos that Diego will probably release. They talk about the amazing time they had staying in a house with ~20 other permies, the food, the conversations.
Paul starts by talking about his keynote on permaculture velocity and how he angered some people but still ended up with a standing ovation. He shares some of his experience as a speaker. He talks about the good conversations he had with Willie Smits.
They then move on to talk about the information they got from the other keynote speakers. Paul was a bit disapointed by Michael Pollan's presentation as he thought it was not groundbreaking information. He was also disapointed that Joel Salatin presented very similar information to what he did a year ago in Moscow, Idaho. He enjoyed, but was not surprised by any information that Geoff Lawton presented. Paul and Jocelyn enjoyed the presentation that Dr. Elaine Ingham did. Paul was pleased to see that Toby Hemenway's presentation presented lots of bricks on how to make a better world. They talk about the presentation by Allan Savory and tell the story that even if we were all to be vegan, the only way out of our desertification predictment is to graze more animals.
They go on and talk about some of the other presentations they attended and the dinner they had with Geoff and Nadia Lawton, Larry Santoyo, Toby Hemenway.
Useful LinksPermaculture Voices Forum

meat chicken return on investment thread at permies
You can discuss this podcast on this thread at Permies.]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:15:15282 – Geoff Lawton Q&A Round 3https://richsoil.com/permaculture/76033-282-geoff-lawton-qa-round-3
Mon, 17 Mar 2014 02:18:32 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=76033<p>When last we heard our fearless interviewees, Geoff Lawton was sounding like a robot due to internet wilding. They cut it off at that point, and have now gotten together to go through more questions: "Should permaculturalists follow their national permaculture organization's rules, or do what Bill Mollison says in his design manual." Geoff says, […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>When last we heard our fearless interviewees, Geoff Lawton was sounding like a robot due to internet wilding. They cut it off at that point, and have now gotten together to go through more questions: "Should permaculturalists follow their national perm...
"Should permaculturalists follow their national permaculture organization's rules, or do what Bill Mollison says in his design manual." Geoff says, do what Bill advocates--that's what has made this a global movement. We will all support you--don't be bullied by some local person. There's no power in permaculture--it's not designed that way. If something doesn't fit for you, do what works. When you are doing the right thing, resources will gather around you (and many of those resources will be people).
"What do you feel is the role internships play in the advancement of permaculturists, after they've completed a PDC." Geoff says he puts a lot of emphasis on "master class" 10 week internships that the participants pay to participate. Right now he's got 23 interns at Zaytuna farm.
Geoff's interns are in a formalized pattern, where the interns do large animals for 10 days, small animals for 10 days, crop systems, food forest, compost/biochar/natural fertilizer, and utilities (water, waste, recycling). Each intern runs one of seven systems during their 10 days. There's a checklist for each person, every day and also short courses on other topics (urban, earthworks, etc) during the day. He sees this as fast tracking them into action. This 70 day program costs $7700. Zaytuna farm has been developing for 14 years, so it's really something to see. It's totally off grid and they make all their own food. (ed: well, except maybe for the wheat--see below)
If you go spend 10 weeks at Zaytuna farm, you will learn whether farming is really for you. Most people are really getting a clue by the 5th week. Maybe they are better at education, at other things than in-the-dirt farming. Coming out for an internship will make this clear. Paul thinks that $7700 is excellent value, given what you learn and what you could get connected with. Geoff says, yes, he is constantly hearing from people who need a good person to help them manage their land, and he is often sending his (good) students out to help others with their land. These days, when Geoff does a consultation, he brings all his interns along.
"What's your favorite storage/staple crop for cold climates?" Geoff says potatoes are probably his favorite, being something he's eaten his whole life. (Geoff is from England FYI.) Chestnuts are another. Hazelnuts, walnuts, monkey puzzle (ed: that has nuts?). He's rather go for a root crop than a grain. Paul brings up sunchokes, Geoff says it's a novelty in his climate because it's actually hard to store in the constant warmth, and he brings up the "fartichoke" thing. In a cold climate, pumpkins, squashes store well in your house. Turnips, onions in cool dry storage. Paul lists the great properties of sunchokes, and adds in winter keeper apples. He agrees that grain is just a lot of work.
Geoff says that wheat is his wife's cultural staple, and it sounds like although they grow some grains, they are buying some of that for their daily bread. He brings up low-tannic acorns as another possibility. There are people in Portugal with those. Ooh, ooh! If you have low tannin acorns, Paul would love some to plant on his land. Geoff expresses his jealousy of cold climates, because it's easier to store foods. He hasn't had much success with storage onions, he has to get by with much smaller perennial onions. (ed: grass is always greener, right?).
"If you had to choose two animals for a cold climate, what would they be?" Geoff says dairy cow and chickens. Paul roots for hogs. Geoff points out that eggs can be eaten by everyone, you don't need teeth to eat them. Geoff says he just doesn't feel normal without a working dog and a dairy cow.
"We live on the west coast of Ireland,]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:14:49281 – Geoff Lawton Q&A Round 2 – Part 2https://richsoil.com/permaculture/76030-281-geoff-lawton-qa-round-2-part-2
Wed, 12 Mar 2014 02:20:55 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=76030<p>Best way to establish a food forest in high desert (Rocky Mountains) with annual rainfall 3"-8" at 7500 ft above sea level. Geoff says he's getting a lot of questions about high dry deserts. It is a difficult landscape, because it's quite cool, but still dry. You'll have to work hard on your nursery systems, […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Best way to establish a food forest in high desert (Rocky Mountains) with annual rainfall 3"-8" at 7500 ft above sea level. Geoff says he's getting a lot of questions about high dry deserts. It is a difficult landscape, because it's quite cool,
Paul takes a stab at this question: he thinks job one is to increase organic matter. He agree that you start up with earthworks, and points out that you can make some serious wind breaks, like 12'-15' berms and do other things to gather water and create microclimates.
Geoff has a system for using an excavator to fill earth bags, and another system using nylon net to hold earth together. (Can't wait to see more of what that leads to!)
Paul points out that he personally doesn't like large berms "on contour" because he's worried about frost pockets. Geoff says that if you are in high desert, catching all of the rainfall (which is likely to come in rare, major events) might be more important than avoiding frost pockets. Similarly, you might need to gather snow and try to shade it as well, to keep it from melting and evaporating. Geoff points out that swales are for trees, and the trees should send the cold air up and over and create a sheltered place below them.
Paul asks Geoff about air wells: stacked rocks that can collect water via condensation. Geoff says he's seen ancient rock piles with swales for holding the water that's gathered in the middle east, and Bill Mollison saw a lot of gathering condensation water in the Canary Islands, using trees. He'd love to hear more about people using condensation water.
A question about keeping away large herbivores like elk and bison. Geoff says both Bill and Sepp Holzer talk about bone tar, putting that on the trees to keep animals off. You could try planting stuff they really like and putting it over there (this is good for birds). Electric fence can be helpful, especially if you bait it with peanut butter on aluminum foil. Dogs are good. Geoff trained his (cattle) dog to go nuts on foxes. One thing that's useful for really large animals is a ha-ha fence, a deep ditch with steep sides that the animal can't cross.
How many acres do you need for self-sufficiency? Well, it depends, doesn't it. Some land is very difficult. It depends on the climate, on the geography. If you want to be a raw fruitarian, the big island of Hawaii is a nice spot. According to the John Jeavons biointensive gardening system, it's 1000 sq ft per person, featuring vegetables. As a complete guess, if you have 1/4 acre of zone 1, you can do well for a small family. For one person, 1/5 of an acre should do you well. An acre of zone 2, with food forest, animal tractoring system, and if you want to pasture animals, you're looking at 2-4 acres for zone 3. Your woodlot is an important part of the system in a cold climate: coppiced woodlot, and now that should be a good 5 acres. Geoff has clients with 7 acres who raised 3 boys on their land with very little in the way of exterior inputs. Bill had a student who has been able to raise huge quantities of food on 3 acres in Hawaii for decades. Geoff has a student from last year's online PDC who is feeding his family of 8 (well,]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:20:46280 – Geoff Lawton Q&A Round 2 – Part 1https://richsoil.com/permaculture/76026-280-geoff-lawton-qa-round-2-part-1
Sun, 09 Mar 2014 13:34:06 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=76026<p>More questions for Geoff Lawton, including good information about how you could help at the Jordan project (if you can get yourself there). Geoff says you could travel the world today going from project to project if you are a good worker and a good person. If you're going to be an intern at Geoff's […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>More questions for Geoff Lawton, including good information about how you could help at the Jordan project (if you can get yourself there). Geoff says you could travel the world today going from project to project if you are a good worker and a good pe...
We could feed everybody on the planet with less than 5% of the land used for commercial agriculture? Geoff specifies--what he said is that we can produce the same amount of nutrition on 2-4% of the equivalent area. This is because the smaller area you garden (intensively) the more production and diversity you get. If we relocalize food production, things get much more efficient. Well designed systems are surprisingly productive. Paul recounts the story of the couple in Portland who were unable to feed two people just from their lot, without external inputs. Geoff comes back to comparing yields on nutrition versus just weight or calories, and he counters: why not bring things into your urban garden? Why be an idealist about this? He also says that he sees permaculture designs of the 21st century being more complex than in days of yore.
Geoff helps people start up their own institutes within his organization, but this is informational support, not monetary support. He's got things going all over the planet.
Talking about the online PDC, there's just so much information that comes at you (and you can watch and rewatch sections of videos until it makes sense). There are active discussions on each and every presentation. You will end up with an actual Bill Mollison signed certificate (a very fancy piece of paper, it seems). This is the original official PDC certificate, only given when Geoff is the main teacher of a PDC. The cost for the online PDC should be just under $1K.
Bill and David worked together on the ideas of permaculture, but it's Bill that started the movement. Geoff says he still listens very very carefully to anything that Bill says. He still reads and reconsiders the Permaculture Design Manual (that we are reading and discussing on permies.com!). Paul wonders if Bill has heard of him, Geoff says yes, he's taken Bill through the forums to show him what's up on line.
Geoff's students will have access to buying Bill's book at maybe a 25% discount.
You can discuss this podcast on this thread at Permies.Get all of the podcasts in convenient, giant zip files
Credit: Julia Winter]]>Paul Wheatonyes40:21279 – Geoff Lawton Q&Ahttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/75983-279-geoff-lawton-qa
Fri, 28 Feb 2014 22:56:21 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=75983<p>Geoff Lawton reached out to Paul to discuss the peoples questions. Paul explained how the forum generated a lot of questions. Some of the questions were answered by other forum members. Paul thought that they should focus on the tougher questions. Question: How can trees generate more moisture thru condensation? What is the critical number […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Geoff Lawton reached out to Paul to discuss the peoples questions. Paul explained how the forum generated a lot of questions. Some of the questions were answered by other forum members. Paul thought that they should focus on the tougher questions.
Question: How can trees generate more moisture thru condensation? What is the critical number of trees needed.
Geoff: The leave area is critical to the solution. The more surface area a tree has in leaves the better. In a dryland system the hardiest of trees and tress that can reduce loss due to wind are important. You sequence fast pathways of trees. It is hard to estimate what the density should be. In the inner zones where human interaction occurs some species such as legumes are to spikey. You want to aim your goal at trees that are pioneers. Less spikey trees are better. One crucial species are the succulant ground covers. High gel leaves on ground covers work very well, one that works well is ice pratt. Geoff thinks that when you get those ground covers they insulate the soil and you speed up the sequences. The denser the foilage the better. Fast tracking the sequences with diversity thru pioneer succession will work best. Geoff stated that windbreaks that reduce the wind and also collect airborne nutrients. Windbreaks will also create shade and reduce evaporation. You build on the benefical plants you have to look at when the best time is to sequence things out.
In the video with the gabion baskets, when there are people who live in a flood plain, Pauls suggestion is that people should move out of a floodplain. If you build good soil in the flood plain there is a chance that soil coming in would be polluted with toxic gick. Especially if there is a large rain event. Rather than gabion baskets a C shaped berm might work as well. Geoff mentioned a type of irrigation called SPATE that is popular with the UN. These are used just off the edge of a waterway and used to settle out water carrying soil. Silt is deposited on the downstream side and organic matter on the upstream side. Geoff made a video about using Bamboo to trap silt.
A person asked a question about doing work in third world countries Geoff felt that its easier to work with people in the third world because they are still in touch with the land. A question was asked about what to do with the waste of a food forest.. Food forest need to be pruned pretty regularly. Paul feels that one of the great things about a food forest is that they keep producing wether people are there or not...what people do not take the wildlife do. Geoff discusses his second food forest dvd and wants to know if people want to see food forest 2. Paul asks Geoff for more details about the dvd. Geoff was amazed at what occurs within the food forest in jordan. It has a massive legume tree system. Paul asks Geoff what his future plans are as the education thru online pdc is taking off. Geoff is interested in doing what is best for all. He likes that he could teach so many in one class. The social component of the class amazed Geoff. Geoff mentioned how people stay on. The community is growing at an amazing rate. Geoff wants to get as much info out to people as possible. Geoff has a three hour earthworks course available as well. He likes that he does not have to travel as much. Getting info out can now be more of a focus. He has about 175 more videos. Paul has a ton of video which he is thinking of releasing soon too. Paul points out how each site is so different. Geoff explains how the dvd makes surveying so very simple. The videos are short enough and simple enough that they can be viewed over and over until people understand them. Geoff is happy if someone else can do it better. If someone signed up they can keep attending over and over. Geoff hopes to keep the momentum going. Paul asks if people step away can they attend in the future.]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:41:19278 – Gaia’s Garden Chapter 10https://richsoil.com/permaculture/75928-276-gaias-garden-chapter-10
Wed, 26 Feb 2014 03:52:02 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=75928<p>After almost 2 years, Paul and Jocelyn are back reading Gaia’s Garden. Mostly home scale, zone 1, zone 2. One of the best parts of this chapter is the table in the middle. Tying guilds into a unified landscape. The role of [productive] trees, trees as the foundation of a forest. The yields of trees […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>After almost 2 years, Paul and Jocelyn are back reading Gaia’s Garden. Mostly home scale, zone 1, zone 2. One of the best parts of this chapter is the table in the middle. Tying guilds into a unified landscape. The role of [productive] trees,Gaia’s Garden. Mostly home scale, zone 1, zone 2. One of the best parts of this chapter is the table in the middle.

Tying guilds into a unified landscape. The role of [productive] trees, trees as the foundation of a forest. The yields of trees is far superior to that of annuals. Mention of Robert Hart, Bullock Brother, Patrick Whitefield. 3 layer food forest vs. 7 layer. Trees with dense canopies aren’t good choices. Better choices are multifunctional fruit and nut trees. This chapter is like a summary & review of preceding chapters. A culmination of the preceding chapters. Once the food forest takes off, the kids will abandon their lawn for the more enchanting forest. Establish zone one first, then establish outward. They talk about succession in time. Paul mentions his 2 extra/pay only book reviews, Just Enough & Botany in a Day, available on Scubbly.
You can discuss this podcast on this thread at Permies.
Credit: Cj Verde]]>Paul Wheatonyes24:14276 – Geoff Lawton on Permaculture Part 1https://richsoil.com/permaculture/75906-podcast-276-geoff-lawton-permaculture-part-1
Fri, 21 Feb 2014 02:46:20 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=75906<p>Geoff Lawton answers a ton of questions like why he's not on the Permaculture Playing Cards. Paul and Geoff discuss how they deal with detractors. They discuss the top women in permaculture. Why is there hostility in the permaculture movement.? How did metaphysics wind up in permaculture? Who is in charge of permaculture? If no […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Geoff Lawton answers a ton of questions like why he's not on the Permaculture Playing Cards. Paul and Geoff discuss how they deal with detractors. They discuss the top women in permaculture. Why is there hostility in the permaculture movement.?
You can discuss this podcast on this thread at Permies.Get all of the podcasts in convenient, giant zip files
Credit: Cj Verde]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:22:08277 – Geoff Lawton on Permaculture Part 2https://richsoil.com/permaculture/75918-277-geoff-lawton-permaculture-part-2
Fri, 21 Feb 2014 02:44:09 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=75918<p>This is the continuation of podcast 276. The podcast starts with Paul asking if Geoff Lawton is a hippie. They talk about the PRI certified instructors and whether the holding hand and singing sound is part of a PDC. Geoff’s opinion is that if a PDC will include a metaphysical portion, it should be advertised […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>This is the continuation of podcast 276. The podcast starts with Paul asking if Geoff Lawton is a hippie. They talk about the PRI certified instructors and whether the holding hand and singing sound is part of a PDC.podcast 276.
The podcast starts with Paul asking if Geoff Lawton is a hippie. They talk about the PRI certified instructors and whether the holding hand and singing sound is part of a PDC. Geoff’s opinion is that if a PDC will include a metaphysical portion, it should be advertised at such. They talk about why some people are moving away from the term permaculture.
They talk briefly about Geoff’s next online PDC and the one he will be part of in California after Permaculture Voices.
They move on to talk about some techniques for greening the desert. Paul then asks Geoff some listener questions such as ways to mitigate salt in soils, challenges with the project in Jordan and some of the best tactics to spread permaculture.
Related LinksGeofflawton.com

Is it a soul draining experience or a soul enriching experience?
Are chickens as sustainable as beef or pork?

The ad nauseum fallacy.

Electric fence donuts - article.

Typical day - article.

Permanent fencing v electric.

When is paddock shift not the best scenario?

Chickens eating ice cream or toxins.

Best use of a chicken tractor is as a brooder.
Related LinksPaul's Chickens 2.0 Article
You can discuss this podcast on this thread at Permies.
Credit: Cj Verde]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:16:00Podcast 274 – Earthworks DVD Set Part 2https://richsoil.com/permaculture/75875-podcast-274-earthworks-dvd-set-part-2
Sun, 16 Feb 2014 01:35:01 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=75875<p>It's been three weeks, time for another walking/talking podcast with Paul and Jocelyn! Somehow 14 inches of snow isn't nearly as CRUNCHY as last time. Jocelyn's arm is still in a cast, and she's not supposed to use that arm at all, so she's really glad that she's living in community right now. The Kickstarter […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>It's been three weeks, time for another walking/talking podcast with Paul and Jocelyn! Somehow 14 inches of snow isn't nearly as CRUNCHY as last time. Jocelyn's arm is still in a cast, and she's not supposed to use that arm at all,walking/talking podcast with Paul and Jocelyn! Somehow 14 inches of snow isn't nearly as CRUNCHY as last time. Jocelyn's arm is still in a cast, and she's not supposed to use that arm at all, so she's really glad that she's living in community right now.
The Kickstarter for the Hugelkultur/Earthworks DVDs is ongoing. It is funded, but not as super-over-funded as we were hoping. It got funded in a week instead of in two days, and the first stretch goal has been achieved, and now EVERYBODY who donates will get a mini-documentary about hugelkultur for their very own, so go now and get yours!
Anyways, back at Wheaton Laboratories, they had quite the cold snap. It went to 26 below (that's Fahrenheit, folks, and that's damn cold). When they went in the office that morning it was 59 where the rock filled rocket mass heater is, and they were able to warm that up to a toasty 83 degrees. Tony and Emily are living in a tipi heated only by a rocket mass heater, and they report some chilly mornings, but almost too warm at night, sleeping on the mass.
Jocelyn wants to talk about seeds. People are asking about what's been planted, and botanically, they haven't planted anything in an organized fashion. However, one of the best things that's been happening is the development of community. Paul feels like he needs closer to 20 people on the land, to get things done that need to be done. For this, they need more infrastructure, like housing. The Love Shack is built but needs some insulation and it's own (tiny) RMH before it can be moved out to The Hollowed Out Volcano With Good Submarine Access. You can find some plans here.
One of the main sources of funding for all the innovation and education at Wheaton Laboratories is the Kickstarters. Some have complained that Paul is trying to raise money, but what he accomplishes with not much money is more than many others accomplish with tons more money. There is so much to do! There are going to be workshops on wofati building, on rocket mass heaters, and there's going to be a solar workshop in the days leading up to the summer solstice. Steve Heckeroth will be at Wheaton Laboratories with a genuine solar electric tractor.
Back to seeds: many, many seeds have been ordered (maybe $2000 worth of seeds), but sadly the conversations around choosing those were not recorded. Emily pointed out (after the fact) the catalog-perusing talk would have made a great podcast. Maybe later.
Paul is frustrated that not so many people have ordered the Earthworks and Hugelkultur DVDs, but Jocelyn points out that there aren't so many people with large enough properties that they think about putting in a pond. To address this, Paul and Bart are putting together a video that focuses just on hugelkultur. Even a $1 contribution to the empire via the Kickstarter (go there now), will get you your own copy of the hugelkultur video.
Other activities at Wheaton Laboratories involve fixing the dump truck, fixing the snow plow, and lots and lots of welding by Paul's brother Tim. Paul's been videoing Tim's welding with the thought of maybe putting that together as an instructional DVD (Tim's really rather good at the whole constructing with metal thing) and he'd like to know if there's inte...]]>Paul WheatonyesPodcast 273 – Earthworks DVD Sethttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/75650-earthworks
Sun, 26 Jan 2014 02:06:41 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=75650<p>Come walk with Paul and Jocelyn through the snow (the VERY crunchy snow) up at the laboratory! Jocelyn wants to walk, and Paul is willing, if they also create a new podcast while they walk. If people keep posting topic requests at permies.com, this may happen regularly. You get a sense of what it looks […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Come walk with Paul and Jocelyn through the snow (the VERY crunchy snow) up at the laboratory! Jocelyn wants to walk, and Paul is willing, if they also create a new podcast while they walk. If people keep posting topic requests at permies.com,posting topic requests at permies.com, this may happen regularly. You get a sense of what it looks like up there in the mountains of Montana in January (think conifers covered in snow, but with less snow underneath). Paul talks about how it seems to be a bit warmer under conifer trees. He also talks about thinning out the overcrowded trees as part of good forestry management, and how you decide which trees should go.
They are walking through a draw, and Paul talks about how this may be where there used to be a creek. Right now there is no running water (or still water, I believe) anywhere on the laboratory. Paul and Mark Vandemeer have walked the land and theorized about what used to be there.
Paul tells the story of his TED talk, how stressful it was to try to present entirely from memory, how worried he was about "a car wreck" of a presentation, but how it ended up going pretty well. You can find a link to watch it yourself on permies.com in the tinkering forum. Paul shares that his favorite part of the TED talk was hanging out in the green room, seeing the presentations and being able to comment about how things are soooper awwesome!
Then follows much observation of various kinds of poop on the ground. Deer, elk, even bear!
There is a new Kickstarter going, to fund the production of a 3 DVD se on Earthworks. Paul is nervous that there won't be enough interest in buying video about earthworks. Jocelyn wants to point out that the video camera was NOT operated by Paul (he is the subject--the video was taken at a workshop he presented in Southern California). So, the video is pretty high quality, and Paul was wearing a microphone so the sound is good as well. Paul is worried because Geoff Lawton already has made an earthworks DVD, but Jocelyn thinks Paul's presentations have more technique and specifics. Go, gentle reader and check out the Kickstarter and tell your friends.

Another ongoing project is to sell a jump drive that holds all of the podcasts (this was requested by those with crappy internet). The current plan is to load a 32GB jump drive with ALL of the Paul podcasts, ALL of Paul's videos, ALL of "Tall Paul's" podcasts and maybe 70 of Jack Spirko's podcasts, plus a big video of Jack talking about food forests. It's going to cost $60. Currently if Paul buys 100 he'll need to sell 85 to break even.
Paul shares that if the Earthworks DVD Kickstarter is a success, he and Bart have planned out 12 more Kickstarters, with a hope to do 4 a year (!). Jocelyn points out that there are huge amounts of work that go into these things, so 4 a year is a rather breakneck pace, right before she fall on the ice and breaks her neck!!
No, just kidding. Jocelyn falls and breaks her wrist, but she's such a trooper she just says "ow." She really did, and it was a bad break, and there's a thread on permies.com where you can wish her a speedy recovery. So go there now (and then go to Kickstarter).
You can discuss this podcast on this thread at Permies.

Credit: Julia Winter]]>Paul Wheatonyes28:54Podcast 272 – Review of Desert or Paradise DVDhttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/75541-272-desert-or-paradise
Fri, 10 Jan 2014 01:10:52 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=75541<p>Paul, Emily Aaston & Tony Aiuppa discuss the video "Desert or Paradise", starring the mighty, the glorious, the amazing Sepp Holzer, which Paul got from Zak Weis in a trade for his 4 DVD set. Paul says he scheduled the podcast to get away from angry stuff. He mentioned a guy who was bashing Sepp […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul, Emily Aaston & Tony Aiuppa discuss the video "Desert or Paradise", starring the mighty, the glorious, the amazing Sepp Holzer, which Paul got from Zak Weis in a trade for his 4 DVD set. Paul says he scheduled the podcast to get away from angry st..."Desert or Paradise", starring the mighty, the glorious, the amazing Sepp Holzer, which Paul got from Zak Weis in a trade for his 4 DVD set.
Paul says he scheduled the podcast to get away from angry stuff. He mentioned a guy who was bashing Sepp this morning and posits that chem-ag is paying people to infiltrate the the permaculture community and bash permaculture.
Tony brought up the new "cider press" forum on Permies. Paul talked a bit about his decision to introduce this.
Paul brings the discussion back to the video. He starts by saying how beautiful it is. It shows several multi-year sequences of shots where Sepp did his thing. Paul talks about how the immediate results are sometimes shocking but in the following years, the benefits become obvious.
Emily mentions a scene near the end of the video where Sepp says you need to use heavy machinery to heal land because that's what was used to mess it up. Trying to do it all with a spade would take forever. Paul quotes Sepp as saying, "It took big equipment to fuck things up; it's going to take big equipment to make things better." He has some reservations about this, though.
Paul brings up a few things he didn't like about the video. He sees various errors and places where he disagrees with what is being said. He wonders whether this is sometimes a problem of translation or maybe Sepp is just not getting his ideas out clearly. They talk about a complaint he made about a big dam and what they thought he might have meant.
Paul talks for a while about the resistance from some people to cutting trees or bulldozing. He agrees that they are modifying nature, but in a sensitive and respectful way, and that the result is better than what was there before, and "nature approved". He says the best comparison, though, is not with what was there before but with typical agricultural land.
Paul disagrees with Sepp blaming the big dam for deserty conditions nearby. He says if anything the dam would be responsible for increasing the humidity and moderating the local climate, which should encourage local plant growth. Paul thinks the poor conditions nearby are likely caused by bad management practices.
Paul said that the next part of the movie bounces around a lot between projects in Spain and Portugal and he found it confusing. Paul and Emily talked about the emphasis on water features needing both deep and shallow areas.
Paul talks about a dam feature called a "key", which is a ribbon of high-clay material within a dam that is the actual sealing feature. He says he sees this key in all the work Sepp has done lately, including in this movie, although Sepp has repeatedly called keys a "catastrophy" and has recently denied that what he was using was a "key". Paul says that if there is a difference, he'd like to know what it is.
Paul talks about a Sepp project where a place with sand dunes was transformed to a land of lakes. The trick was to discover the topography of the land under the dunes (possibly by drilli...]]>Paul WheatonyesPodcast 271 – Rocket Mass Heater Shippable Core Updatehttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/75469-shippable-cores
Mon, 30 Dec 2013 02:13:44 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=75469<p>Paul and Erica discuss shippable cores along with work done at the tipi. One of the days during the workshop included flooding the tipi with heat because the mass was frozen, frozen rock solid. The next day, after heating up the mass the heater worked much better. There were many projects going on all at […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul and Erica discuss shippable cores along with work done at the tipi. One of the days during the workshop included flooding the tipi with heat because the mass was frozen, frozen rock solid. The next day,
RMH in the shop with Tim was next.43" tall hear rise. It was to short combined with other problems this design would not work. Using some rings and cut barrels parts they stuck it together and it drafted so warm that the glue melted which was rated for 300 degrees. The tape stunk up the auditorium. Paul wants to get rid of all that tape. It smells bad when it gets too warm. Now the riser is 58" tall, Bare minimum is 48" with a 16" wood feed. Because the bench was not heating up Erica thought it might have been a lack of insulation. The draw on this rocket mass heater was very strong, so strong that it made it hard to light kindling in the feed tube.
Shippable core progress. Erica helped Tim casting in the concrete with a few pointers. An after dinner casting sessions was reviewed. They mixed up four batches and poured the core. There is an event planned for innovators for 2014. With more people helping out, lots of experiments can be performed. This type of relationship is good for attendees and for people innovating by trying out different ideas.]]>Paul WheatonyesPodcast 270 – Review of don’t Eat Anything with a Face Part 2https://richsoil.com/permaculture/75443-podcast-270-review-dont-eat-anything-face-part-2
Wed, 25 Dec 2013 16:45:39 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=75443<p>Credit: Sally Chang This podcast is a continuation of the discussion of the NPR program Intelligence2 Debate: Should We Avoid Eating Anything With A Face (see podcast 269 for link). Paul wonders if vegans and vegetarians are truly aware of the actual facts of how their vegetables are grown–a process that includes lots of tilling […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Credit: Sally Chang This podcast is a continuation of the discussion of the NPR program Intelligence2 Debate: Should We Avoid Eating Anything With A Face (see podcast 269 for link). Paul wonders if vegans and vegetarians are truly aware of the actual f...
This podcast is a continuation of the discussion of the NPR program Intelligence2 Debate: Should We Avoid Eating Anything With A Face (see podcast 269 for link).
Paul wonders if vegans and vegetarians are truly aware of the actual facts of how their vegetables are grown–a process that includes lots of tilling which disturbs the soil and kills many creatures. He also questions the vegan charge that in an omnivorous diet animals are "exploited." Erica points out that it is impossible to live without exploiting something. Paul feels that an organic vegan diet actually kills more creatures with faces than a grass-fed omnivorous diet.
There is a discussion concerning Vitamin B12 and the difficulty of getting enough it in a vegetarian diet.
Also, left out of the debate is the discussion of factory farms.
You can discuss this podcast on this thread at Permies.]]>Paul WheatonyesPodcast 269 – Review of don’t Eat Anything with a Face Part 1https://richsoil.com/permaculture/75435-podcast-269-review-dont-eat-anything-face-part-1
Mon, 23 Dec 2013 01:54:53 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=75435<p>Credit: Sally Chang Paul, Jocelyn, Tony, Emily and Erika discuss an episode of the NPR program, Intelligence2, called Debate: Should We Avoid Eating Anything With A Face? On the pro side is Dr. Neal Barnard and Gene Baur; the nay side includes Chris Masterjohn and Joel Salatin. You can listen to the episode here The […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Credit: Sally Chang Paul, Jocelyn, Tony, Emily and Erika discuss an episode of the NPR program, Intelligence2, called Debate: Should We Avoid Eating Anything With A Face? On the pro side is Dr. Neal Barnard and Gene Baur; the nay side includes Chris Ma...
Paul, Jocelyn, Tony, Emily and Erika discuss an episode of the NPR program, Intelligence2, called Debate: Should We Avoid Eating Anything With A Face?
On the pro side is Dr. Neal Barnard and Gene Baur; the nay side includes Chris Masterjohn and Joel Salatin. You can listen to the episode here
The group concludes that the entire debate only skims the surface of a very complex issue which partially includes: nutritional needs of individuals, inconclusive scientific research on what actually constitutes health, the cost of the production of calories, and, which dietary choice (vegan or omnivore) causes the death (violent or humane) of more creatures.
Toward the end, Erika gives a poignant consideration of the life/death cycle and Jocelyn makes the point that whole systems need to be considered.
You can discuss this podcast on this thread at Permies.]]>Paul WheatonyesPodcast 268 – Rocket Mass Heater Update Part 2https://richsoil.com/permaculture/75422-podcast-268-rocket-mass-heater-update-part-2
Wed, 18 Dec 2013 02:17:03 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=75422<p>Credit: Mike Ewing This is part two of a two part podcast in which Paul chats with Paco Wenzel, Zach Weiss, Derek Weiss, and Tony Ayuba, the folks who came out to work on the various winter rocket mass heater projects. [0:00] Paul starts with an introduction of Zach, who Paul say IS Holzer agroecology […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Credit: Mike Ewing This is part two of a two part podcast in which Paul chats with Paco Wenzel, Zach Weiss, Derek Weiss, and Tony Ayuba, the folks who came out to work on the various winter rocket mass heater projects.
This is part two of a two part podcast in which Paul chats with Paco Wenzel, Zach Weiss, Derek Weiss, and Tony Ayuba, the folks who came out to work on the various winter rocket mass heater projects.
[0:00] Paul starts with an introduction of Zach, who Paul say IS Holzer agroecology - bringing Sepp in and working extensively with him and his people in Austria. Zach says he is Looking to get Sepp to come back in May, which Sepp has agreed to if his health is good. Either way, Zach will be organizing two trips to the Krameterhof this year at the end of July and early August.
Paul and Zach talk a bit about greenhouses, a subject they sometimes disagree on. This may be the topic for a future podcast. Paul admits that there are ways to make them suck less and that there may be things you can't grow in Montana without them (pineapple, guava).
[3:45] They talk about Erica's core in the auditorium's rocket mass heater, which Paul describes as a wierd little wooden box with metal at one end. Zach talks about a wooden door he has added as an experiment, but it's a bit difficult to follow exactly what he's describing. Paul has some fun with the word guillotine.
[8:50] Discussion of the auditorium rocket mass heater continues. Paul says its ducting is completely straight, i.e. no elbows until it gets outside. They've been doing a lot of experimenting with it, including trying to get an external pump working on the exhaust. There's difficulty with this because the mass is frozen, so the exhaust is coming out very cold. The auditorium RMH is a combination OF Erica's and Ernie's designs, with the core Erica cast and a manifold Ernie made from a half barrel and a ton of expensive aluminum tape. Sometimes it burns fine but sometimes not, filling the auditorium with flames and smoke. This requires opening the doors and losing all the accumulated heat, frustrating everybody.
[14:30] Paul describes Derek's idea of shortening the feed tube and feeding in half-sticks. This compensated for the heat riser in the RMH that is 6" too short and eliminated the smoke problem. Derek spent a full day splitting and cutting wood to a small size and feeding it to the RMH. The intent was to finally thaw out the mass and see if they could get the external pump working. However, the mass wasn't heating as expected. Even the manifold area was just warm. Using an instant-read thermometer, Paul found that the exhaust going into the mass was just 90 degrees. He took temperature readings down from the bottom of the barrel to the start of the ducting and observed a drop from 200 degrees down to 90 degrees where the exhaust enters the mass. So it looks like so much heat is being radiated by the barrel-and-a-half that there's very little left to heat the bench mass, and after a day at full burn they didn't get enough heat at the exit to test their secondary pump idea.
[20:20] Paul considered the possibility that an auditorium might not be the kind of space where a RMH's strengths are really most valuable. He's also thinking about putting insulation or cob on the lower half-barrel as a way to get more heat into the bench. He's not happy with all the tape used for the manifold and wants to move away from designs that require it.
[21:30] Paul revisits the heat riser problem and thinks the RMH might be fine if that flaw was fixed. They speculate that they could even add a foot or more to the heat riser, since the auditorium ceiling is 12' high. Paul goes back to the idea of cobbing the manifold so more heat goes into the mass. He emphasizes the importance of getting the secondary pump working on a pebble-based as a way to mitigate any leaks in the ducting.
[24:15] Paul talks about Erica's shippable (half)core from the previous workshop. Derek put a temporary Metalbestos heat riser on the core and fired it for 3 hours. Paul expected the weight to go down significantly since when ...]]>Paul WheatonyesPodcast 267 – Rocket Mass Heater Update Part 1https://richsoil.com/permaculture/75412-podcast-267-rocket-mass-heater-update-1
Sat, 14 Dec 2013 16:23:00 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=75412<p>Credit: Julia Winter Paul is here talking Rocket Mass Heaters with Paco Wenzel, Zach Weiss, Derek Weiss, and Tony Ayuba. They've all been together for 4 days working on various Rocket Mass Heater projects. The RMH built in the tipi ended up cracking the core and had to be rebuilt. The new core follows the […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Credit: Julia Winter Paul is here talking Rocket Mass Heaters with Paco Wenzel, Zach Weiss, Derek Weiss, and Tony Ayuba. They've all been together for 4 days working on various Rocket Mass Heater projects. The RMH built in the tipi ended up cracking th...
Paul is here talking Rocket Mass Heaters with Paco Wenzel, Zach Weiss, Derek Weiss, and Tony Ayuba. They've all been together for 4 days working on various Rocket Mass Heater projects.
The RMH built in the tipi ended up cracking the core and had to be rebuilt. The new core follows the pattern of the RMH in Paul's office. They have continued to work on the cob bench and the plan is still to have Emily and Tony live in that through the winter until March. Paul and Jocelyn went up there and started a fire while they were out of town. It was hard to get going, possibly due to the severe cold they've been having in Montana--as low as -16F, and staying well below freezing for days. When it's below freezing, you can't build with cob. Now that it's been so cold, moving what looks like a loose pile of dirt requires a pick-axe to break up--it's harder than concrete!
What they have found out is that frozen cob looks and feels a lot like finished, set cob. After long firings, the cob bench started to get goopy. They thought the cob was set but actually it was just frozen. They are running a pocket rocket in the tipi to help dry out the bench. Tony really loves the pocket rocket "Simple, Easy, Quick, Warm." Paul notes that pocket rockets tend to burn up their down tube really fast--hey, that means there's metal going into the air (toxic), and the loss of materials is a bummer as well. Hmmm, perhaps a non-metal down tube would work. Until that issue is solved, Paul's not really happy with having a bunch of pocket rockets around.
When you're running a RMH, too much wood or wood that goes diagonally and intrudes into the burn tunnel will mess it up. You can see it if you keep an eye on the exhaust--it will go from clear to smoky black. The wood needs to go in to the feed tube perfectly vertical. Erica has a nice book that she wrote about best practices with burning stuff.
Another issues can be green smoke. If you see green smoke it's coming from something galvanized, and that's toxic stuff. Not welcome. At the tipi they had some issues with green smoke, and they think it came from galvanized hardware cloth that was added to some cobbish material as a structural aid. "Cobbish" is a mix of perlite, wool and heavy clay. Usually when you mix perlite and heavy clay for insulation you mix it such that will form a ball, but it "pops" when you apply pressure on opposite ends. The "cobbish" has more clay, and also the wool, and if you applied pressure to a ball of it it would squoosh instead of explode. Paul thinks the green smoke might actually be from galvanized duct pipe (there's a T of galvanized material early in the system) that's present after the barrel. His idea is that the first 5 feet should be stove pipe, to better tolerate the heat coming out of the barrel/bell. (Oops, yeah, that was the plan but it didn't happen.) Paul wonders if there is a way to form the ducting out of cob (ed. note: how about something that is designed to burn away? Strong enough to create that tube space in the cob, but flammable and more clean burning.) Even the stove pipe is painted. . . Using just cob would be grand. The laboratory has a really nice patch of land with sharp sand with almost enough clay to just build with right out of the ground. Lots of material for cob.
The original plan for the RMH in the tipi was to vent it out the side of the tipi. When Paul fired it up, the stove didn't seem "rockety" enough. The frozen nature of the cob mass was not helpful in getting things going. A secondary heat pump will help the air movement. This can be a vertical pipe that sits close to the burn barrel--basically a chimney. They have one of these in Paul's office RMH and it is working well. Erica wanted a chimney in the tipi,]]>Paul WheatonyesPodcast 266 – rocket mass heater shippable coreshttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/75273-podcast-266-rocket-mass-heater-shippable-cores
Tue, 19 Nov 2013 21:48:45 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=75273<p>Credit: Mike Ewing Paul makes a spur of the moment podcast with Ernie Wisner about rocket mass heaters (RMHs). They are joined by Erica Wisner a little past the halfway mark. Paul starts off with news that Erica's latest shipable cores attempt has cracked and they are now doing a post-mortem. Erica is now obsessed […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Credit: Mike Ewing Paul makes a spur of the moment podcast with Ernie Wisner about rocket mass heaters (RMHs). They are joined by Erica Wisner a little past the halfway mark. Paul starts off with news that Erica's latest shipable cores attempt has crac...
Paul makes a spur of the moment podcast with Ernie Wisner about rocket mass heaters (RMHs). They are joined by Erica Wisner a little past the halfway mark.
Paul starts off with news that Erica's latest shipable cores attempt has cracked and they are now doing a post-mortem. Erica is now obsessed with creating the world's most awesome shippable core.
Paul's pebble-style RMH in the office has been getting mostly daily use for 3 weeks and is working well but they have some ideas for improvements. One thing they note is that it has a smaller mass than a typical cob RMH, so it warms up and cools down quicker. Maybe something more suitable for a weekend cabin, where a cob RMH would take too long to warm up. They talk about pocket rockets and how well they do what they do, which is radiant heating.
Ernie spoke about folks who complain that RMHs need a lot of tending (which they don't). Paul ascribed this to corporate trolls, but Ernie thinks it may have more to do with people who are used to L-tube rocket stoves assuming that rocket mass heaters (with J-tubes) suffer the same problem. Side discussions ensue about L-tube stove deficiencies and underhanded marketing tactics.
Paul brings the discussion back to talking about the working pebble-style RMH. Paul says they have removed the outer wooden box, having decided it is unnecessary. They also plan to add an external air intake. They talk about the merits and demerits of doing this. Ernie advocates having stoves that draw fresh air into the room rather than directly into the stove, but Paul wants to be able to leave the stove running untended and is concerned that without an external air intake, there's a risk of smoke coming in. Ernie appeals to people to note the circumstances when smokeback occurs and publicize these problems. Paul says that sometimes a puff of smoke will come out of the feed tube but be immediately sucked back in. Ernie adds that he is very familiar with his own stove and often leaves it burning untended without smoke or fire worries.
They talk some more about air intake design and how often people try to use steel for this. This is problematic because steel overheats even when it is quite far from the fire (probably due to radiant heat).
The discussion veers into high temperatures (2500 to 3000 deg. F.) and how steel and other materials deal with them. Paul notes that stoves with steel in the heat riser often burn out (and mentions a video by web4deb). Ernie says that the heat-riser design involving the inner and outer tube with perlite/clay mix between was not intended for long-term intallations because the heat riser is quite fragile after the metal is gone. He recommends brick for better durability.
Paul brings the discussion to the topic of people who want to get into the shippable core business. It seems the people who have contacted Paul with this intention do not, generally (or perhaps universally), see eye-to-eye with Paul on the value of the work he (and Ernie and Erica) have done and will do to make such a business succeed. The upshot is, Paul and the Wisners will be freely sharing their information on shipable cores. Their monetizing strategy is to allow others to take the information, get a business going and then, if the product meets with their approval Paul will list the product or business on Permies and take an affiliate fee for any sales through that channel, with an additional $20 per core going to Ernie and Erica.
Erica arrived at this point. Turns out that she knows a bit about these rocket mass heater thingies too!
They talk about the criteria that will be used to decide whether a core gets their approval. Paul says it must require minimal DIY skills to install. Ernie says it must burn clean. Paul points out that right now the box-style RMH has a shipable core (by freight) and this could already be the ma...]]>Paul WheatonyesPodcast 265 – Updates from the lab part 3 – Tools, volunteers, and homestead butcheryhttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/75247-podcast-265-homestead-butchery
Wed, 13 Nov 2013 22:48:11 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=75247<p>Credit: Kevin Murphy and Marianne Cooper Paul discusses seed balls, planting of perennials, berms and hugelkultur beds planned for winter. The solar electric sawmill is doing well; electric chainsaws working well; cordless saw is nimble; little Mikita is very handy but in the shop. Paul's electric Remmington died. Motors in the electric saws seem to burn […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Credit: Kevin Murphy and Marianne Cooper Paul discusses seed balls, planting of perennials, berms and hugelkultur beds planned for winter. The solar electric sawmill is doing well; electric chainsaws working well; cordless saw is nimble; little Mikita ...
Paul discusses seed balls, planting of perennials, berms and hugelkultur beds planned for winter. The solar electric sawmill is doing well; electric chainsaws working well; cordless saw is nimble; little Mikita is very handy but in the shop. Paul's electric Remmington died. Motors in the electric saws seem to burn out quickly and cordless saws do not have enough power. Paul thinks the electric saws are safer. Gas saws are more dangerous to start along with the noxious fumes.
A review of the volunteers and how they are working at different speeds came next. Some people make great progress but others not so much. People that listened to the podcasts are far more successful on the farm. Some people learn and then wander off into the woods. Food has been delicious with three organic meals a day, which is expensive. Paul is thinking about changing the format to more of a workshop to address the work ethic issues and the 3 day minimum will be revisited; getting people ramped up takes time. The Kitchen Commander position is open again.
EV Vehicles was next on Paul's list. The three electrical vehicles are all down. Polaris is down. Bad boy buggy has as much power as Polaris but seems better built. Polaris is like a cheap imitation compared to bb buggy. The Polaris is not meant to be used in a dusty environment is what Paul was told. A discussion on the boiling of batteries was also reviewed. Some people said batteries should never boil. Someone else said it is ok to boil a little.
A review of the Farmstead Meatsmith workshop on homestead butchery was next. Emily reviewed all the steps to process the pigs. Some of the parts that are thrown out during factory processing were used to make more delicious food. Paul reviews the knife sharpening at the meatsmith workshop. The sharpening of the knife with the green slime bothered Paul. He wants to come up with a better system.
People have been working really hard so there was a three day mandatory shutdown, since the fun factor is coming down and things seem more like chores. Cold is effecting the batteries on lots of the tools. With so many projects going there seems to be some that get done quickly and completed and others seem to drag on. Staying focused can be a problem when you wanna add something cool to a project. Pacing the projects needs to be done in the future. No more "Hey ya know what would be cool."
In the past few weeks RMH technology has advanced and lots has been accomplished. Next spring workshops will be a way to gage workers and to vett them. Lots of infrastructure has been put in place. Paul agrees that larger properties require more people and those people need housing. Housing needs to come first.
Tool distribution seemed to take time to ramp up. Where to find a tool or who to report to if you need a certain tool takes time. People were messing with the power cart. Don't touch the buttons!!
Paul considers doing some DVD reviews. These are easy and relaxing for him.
Paul wants to do more podcasts.
]]>Paul WheatonyesPodcast 264 – Updates from the lab part 2 – rocket mass heater, shipable core, wofati, cob designhttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/75209-podcast-264-wofati
Sun, 10 Nov 2013 14:14:24 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=75209<p>Credit: Kevin Murphy Paul gave an in depth review of each of three rmh designs. One design by Paul, one by Ernie and a third by Erica. There was a review of rocket mass heater of the shipable cores. There is a fire problem in Paul's box design due to lack of insulation. 3 cores […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Credit: Kevin Murphy Paul gave an in depth review of each of three rmh designs. One design by Paul, one by Ernie and a third by Erica. There was a review of rocket mass heater of the shipable cores. There is a fire problem in Paul's box design due to ...
Paul gave an in depth review of each of three rmh designs. One design by Paul, one by Ernie and a third by Erica. There was a review of rocket mass heater of the shipable cores. There is a fire problem in Paul's box design due to lack of insulation. 3 cores were built during the first workshop. First was Ernie's cob like core. Castable manifold footprint is most the difficult piece. Ernie likes partial barrel. Paul thinks its prone to leakage. Lots of tape and glue used which Paul doesn't like. Welding can replace tape but not easily welded. Ernie uses a small firebox called a puppy burner. First try failed due to a lack of insulation. Paul wants a design that will keep material costs around $100. Erica had a design that used a special goo. This goo made her manifold very light which Paul loved. The first core design with manifold design. Paul not a fan. Paul's design had 3" on bottom clay and perlite. Bigger safer but heavier. Four people to move it. Pocket rockets were plentiful. Less finicky. These were quick and simple. Shipable core design workshop used tried and true methods. Paul suggested using duct in place of stove pipe. The pebble style design will be tested this winter. Erica gets scientist of the year for her light weight design. There was a discussion of the cob style design and cost associated with it. Paul likes the idea of a shipable core in a wood box. If Paul can combine his design with Erica's light weight this would minimize shipping costs. A discussion of the shipping costs followed freight versus UPS and FedEx. A discussion of how to vent the rmh was reviewed. Thru roof versus thru wall was debated. Both have their pros and cons. Paul stated that air intake design can be problematic.
The tipi was reviewed and the cob style rmh built in the tipi was discussed.

Workshop for set for September of 2014 were set. October was just a little to chilly.

The first wofati and the progress on the building was discussed and some plans for 2014 were mentioned.
You can discuss this podcast on this thread at Permies.]]>Paul WheatonyesPodcast 263 – Updates from the lab part 1 – rocket mass heater, showers, poopershttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/75196-podcast-263-updates-lab-part-1-rocket-mass-heater-showers-poopers
Thu, 07 Nov 2013 03:12:14 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=75196<p>Credit: Rob Young Paul begins this podcast by explaining the lack of new podcasts and an update on the work that has been going on. A 3 day "rest" period from work was decided to heal up since everyone had been going at such a scramble, scramble rapid pace. Emily, Tony and Jason join in […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Credit: Rob Young Paul begins this podcast by explaining the lack of new podcasts and an update on the work that has been going on. A 3 day "rest" period from work was decided to heal up since everyone had been going at such a scramble,
Paul begins this podcast by explaining the lack of new podcasts and an update on the work that has been going on. A 3 day "rest" period from work was decided to heal up since everyone had been going at such a scramble, scramble rapid pace. Emily, Tony and Jason join in as well.
Emily and Tony will be staying in the Tipi for the winter (with only a rocket mass heater for heat) while Jason will be finishing up the rocket mass heaters. Jason was really interested in the cob portion of the presentation.
Permaculture voices put out a new podcast so Paul wanted to respond and spent his time off= working. That podcast (permaculture voices) featured Diego (permaculture voices organizer) and Alden who owns the property plus Joey who planted the property. Paul discusses the earthworks workshop (which Paul taught) and how presenting at these workshops goes. Paul speaks to the reason he believes a pond should be the first thing done with earthworks, (heavy metal removal).
The rocket mass heater dvd set featuring Ernie and Erica is discussed alongside a rocket mass heater DVD done by someone else on a single DVD that also features Ernie and Erica. The single DVD has some interesting aspects in that cob is discussed well. The consensus was that the 4 dvd set is superior. (wood burning stoves 2.0).
The permacultur playing cards were discussed as well, the proof deck fonts were too small so Alexander reworked the fonts. The group found the proof deck to be as precise as a bicycle deck when used for playing. There are hundreds of playing cards featured on Kickstarter and the permaculture cards are #5! Impressive!
The daily affairs or ups and down are discussed as well. Dump truck problems, materials costs, people coming and going, but when it came crunch time (2 days before workshops) all worked at high velocity and peaked! Showers have been built (4) on skids for portability. The compost pile is being used to heat the water and a discussion of its genesis and progress is lengthy and informative. The timber used to make the showers was harvested off the land. It is estimated that 500 boards were used on the portable shower system. 50-60 boards a day was the beginning output from the onsite sawmill but has since increased to passed 100 and more is possible (120-150).
Water has been a challenge and has been shut off till a possible leak at the cistern or line to it can be assessed and fixed. The cold weather is not helping with this either. There are approximately 70 other items that need fixing as well and will be addressed this winter.
The poopers are set up with his and hers and are being adjusted for each. The proper amount of sawdust used per use is determined (Just a tiny bit or sprinkle is all that is needed, no more than 1/2 a cup) so that the pooper does not fill up so fast. The various trials and errors are discussed further.
This podcast currently does not end with the usual tag lines (if you like this sort of thing), just dead air, so do not think your playing unit has malfunctioned.
Next kickstarter is possibly starting in January!
You can discuss this podcast on this thread at Permies.]]>Paul WheatonyesPodcast 262 – Review of Chemericalhttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/75114-262-review-of-chemerical
Mon, 07 Oct 2013 22:41:32 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=75114<p>Credit: Julia Winter It's been over a month since Paul and Jocelyn have made a podcast together. But first, Paul just has to share an anecdote about the latest crazy thing the kids are wearing (or not wearing) these days (in Missoula) and you'll just have to listen to the podcast for the details. This […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Credit: Julia Winter It's been over a month since Paul and Jocelyn have made a podcast together. But first, Paul just has to share an anecdote about the latest crazy thing the kids are wearing (or not wearing) these days (in Missoula) and you'll just h...
It's been over a month since Paul and Jocelyn have made a podcast together. But first, Paul just has to share an anecdote about the latest crazy thing the kids are wearing (or not wearing) these days (in Missoula) and you'll just have to listen to the podcast for the details. This writer ain't goin' there!
Why no podcasts lately? "The level of stuff that we've taken on has gotten rather massive." The permaculture playing cards are at the printer, the RMH and Farmstead meat smith workshops are in less than two weeks, all sorts of things are happening at the laboratory, including the first wofati going up. They are feeding 10 people at every meal these days. The good news is that the present crew is working out great and the quantity of drama has diminished.
A new goal is to take a break every Sunday by 2pm. Today Paul and Jocelyn watched two documentaries, and it was just so nice to sit still for a while and watch something. The first documentary was called Chemerical - Redefining Clean For A New Generation. It followed the experiences of a family that switched from the typical toxic cleansers and body products to more natural versions. The college age daughter was in environmental studies, the parents didn't seem to be thrilled about the idea of changing what they used so probably it was this oldest child (of three) that signed the family up for this thing.
Paul thought they really were a typical American family. The mom seemed very "gray" to him and really alarmed at the loss of her usual routines and products. Paul thinks they all seemed pretty stupid at the beginning of the movie, and at the end all of them seemed sharper and they looked better. The mom went from being seemingly unable to express herself to being quite articulate. Jocelyn was curious as to exactly what they'd been using prior to the filming, because all the labels were totally blacked out.
A shocking statistic in the documentary is that there is a 54% higher cancer rate for stay at home moms. Paul wonders if the cleaning people at various job sites also have a significantly higher cancer rate.
There were also people with multiple chemical sensitivities in the film. (The narrator states that there are at least 2 million people in the United States with multiple chemical sensitivities.) Paul wanted more footage of people having horrible visible reactions to nasty gick, like, there are people that break out in hives when exposed to things. He recalls that when he was younger he used to get nosebleeds when he was around laundry detergent. He remembers getting a nosebleed just from walking down the detergent aisle at a grocery store.
The film mostly focussed on the family drama, not as much on what P&J wanted to see. They had a microbiologist who wasn't all that impressive, mostly because he "barely scratched the surface" on the whole topic of microbiota.
In the film, they measured the levels of VOC's and other things in the air in each room in the home of this family with a device they called "the canary." They talked about how these days modern homes are so well sealed that the VOC's from all sorts of things just tend to accumulate. Apparently the air quality is typically 20-50 times worse inside the typical home than outside. The levels in this family's home were excessive, and this horrified the mom who knew that her two sons had issues (nose bleeds and breathing problems) that could be secondary to these high exposures.
One thing that makes it hard to avoid the toxic gick is that if something is deemed to be part of a "trade secret" mix, they don't have to list the ingredients on the label. In the second documentary they watched, a guy goes into Target, buys multiple products that don't have "X" on the label, takes them to a lab and tests them and they all turn out to have "X" in them, X being some toxic thing.
]]>Paul WheatonyesPodcast 261- Residual Income Streamshttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/33133-podcast-261-residual-income-streams
Thu, 22 Aug 2013 16:52:36 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=33133<p>Paul and Jocelyn talk about Residual income streams, and touch on the Rocket Mass Heater DVDs - Physical DVDs or Streaming and also the Kickstarter for the Permaculture playing cards. Perma-Finances Or how to stop being a wage slave This may be one of the last formal podcasts with all of the millions of to-dos […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul and Jocelyn talk about Residual income streams, and touch on the Rocket Mass Heater DVDs - Physical DVDs or Streaming and also the Kickstarter for the Permaculture playing cards. Perma-Finances Or how to stop being a wage slave This may be one of ...Physical DVDs or Streaming and also the Kickstarter for the Permaculture playing cards.
Perma-Finances Or how to stop being a wage slave
This may be one of the last formal podcasts with all of the millions of to-dos on Paul’s list. It’s interesting to note that approx. 5,000 people will listen to a podcast while 15,000 will tune into a video.

This is all about residual income streams vs traditional businesses to a great extent. Residual income is evergreen; it doesn’t depend on building a widget, selling it and building another. It’s always trickling in, even after the work is complete; it may be the result of blogs, articles, instructional videos, perma-cards etc.
Paul and Jocelyn see huge opportunities at the farm and the lab in blogs, videos, flashcards and the like but sees bigger hurdles in people procrastinating rather than accomplishing. He’s full of ideas and surrounded by too many people that want a slice of the pie, but scared of the risk or want a guarantee rather than having some of their own skin in the game.
The possibilities are literally endless and more often than not partners are necessary to successfully completing larger scale projects. Patience and candid conversations will quickly make the viability of joining forces worthwhile or not. Too many people want something for nothing, or want the idea person to take all of the risk including a guarantee of income to anyone helping. He talks about how a good partnership makes any project work well. His positive experiences with both Diego and Bart is proof that common goals and a good working relationship is beneficial to everyone involved.
One of the most interesting things is the good fortune a lot of people see when they enter into a partnership on any project because they are believers in its importance and passionate about its subject and most importantly committed to a common goal.
The successful cycle of a micro residual business can quickly grow into a multitude of additional business aka a layering of complimentary projects. The main ingredient to an evergreen income is to surround yourself with likeminded dependable people who will “just do it”.
Find something you love to do, want to do and spend some of your downtime developing your talent and knowledge. Keep in mind that nobody’s trapped – if you hate your day job, get frugal, become humble, be proactive and enterprising.

Vision + Work = reality Vision without follow through is only a dream.
Thanks to Ryan for massaging the file, Marianne Cooper for the description]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:31:31Podcast 260 – Homestead Butchering Q&Ahttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/3705-podcast-260-homestead-butchering
Thu, 11 Jul 2013 02:54:51 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=3705<p>Credit: Mike Ewing In this podcast, Paul interviews Brandon Sheard the Farmstead Meatsmith on homestead butchering, taking his questions from those posted by Permies.com readers in this thread. The interview is conducted over Skype, leading to some audio problems at Brandon's end unfortunately. Paul starts by thanking Brandon for allowing him to publish Brandon's videos […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Credit: Mike Ewing In this podcast, Paul interviews Brandon Sheard the Farmstead Meatsmith on homestead butchering, taking his questions from those posted by Permies.com readers in this thread. The interview is conducted over Skype,
In this podcast, Paul interviews Brandon Sheard the Farmstead Meatsmith on homestead butchering, taking his questions from those posted by Permies.com readers in this thread. The interview is conducted over Skype, leading to some audio problems at Brandon's end unfortunately.
Paul starts by thanking Brandon for allowing him to publish Brandon's videos on his YouTube channel and mentions Brandon's ongoing Kickstarter to fund a butcher shop/classroom/film studio and slaughter truck. Paul points out that this thread also contains a link to Brandon's Kickstarter plus all his videos and some cool pics
Here is a list of the questions that were asked and answered in the podcast. It serves as a good summary of what the podcast covers.
Question From Chad Ellis:

In the videos there were shots that showed hams hanging in the home. It also talked about the butcher shop having to buy refrigerators. I would like to hear about the non-refridgerated shelf life of the products that were made in the videos. Especially things like bacon and ham.
Questions from Justin Koenig:

I was curious about the curing part. Much of the old timers around here( near Memphis, TN) say you couldn't do it they way they did because it doesn't get as cold or stay cold long enough. So, how does the traditional way work with warmer weather? They also told me to be sure and put enough salt around everything especially the joints. Does that sound about right?
I have one more question regarding boars taint, I was under the impression that if you butcher a boar that has been away long enough from sows in heat, that he will not have that problem, but everyone around here says you gotta castrate them but if you don't to be sure to cut the balls first right after the kill. Ask Brandon if cutting the testicles first will or does help to eliminate the taint.
Question from Kerry Rogers:

I just bought a side of a steer from an individual I know here in Texas. I'm comfortable that it was a well raised, only-chem-free-pasture-fed animal. The farmer had it custom processed at a small processor that does that kind of work, and I stayed up til 3am the night before, googling to try to learn how to complete the very vaguely worded cutting form, never having done this sort of thing. About 6 weeks later, the farmer brought many boxes of frozen packages to my house. So far I'm happy with the meat. It tastes "clean" compared to "grass-fed" grocery store beef. I'd like to hear Brandon's thoughts about this kind of processor. I met the farmer, but not the processor. Did they likely do anything unseemly there ? Should I have met them? I don't even know how the meat was aged. Did they add chemistry? I guess the main thing I want to know is: What typically goes on in these small comercial operations, and how should I research and/or vet the processor next time?
Question from Cory Berkey:

I am very interested in more in depth details on the curing process. Especially when it's warmer weather. Also, what would be the best route to start a similar business to what Brandon and his family have done? I have self taught myself how to kill and butcher my own pigs. My last pig had the best bleeding thanks to his videos. I'm about to do my last large black. I would love to purchase the kickstarter that flys him out so I could learn from him but it would be 2 years til I'm at that point in life. Would he do consulting on how to start you own meatsmith?
Question from Dave Hartman:

I have really small pot bellied pigs that weigh around 60 lbs at about a year old...]]>Paul WheatonyesPodcast 259 – Update from The Laboratoryhttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/3693-podcast-259-the-laboratory
Wed, 10 Jul 2013 02:52:35 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=3693<p>Credit: Sally Chang Five people and five days at the lab. Getting Paul caught up on progress, sightings and other less interesting stuff. First on the list is the POOPER: there are concerns about the strength of the structure and proper venting. Should garbage cans or plastic wheely bins be used for storage. Rafters are […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Credit: Sally Chang Five people and five days at the lab. Getting Paul caught up on progress, sightings and other less interesting stuff. First on the list is the POOPER: there are concerns about the strength of the structure and proper venting.
Five people and five days at the lab. Getting Paul caught up on progress, sightings and other less interesting stuff.
First on the list is the POOPER: there are concerns about the strength of the structure and proper venting. Should garbage cans or plastic wheely bins be used for storage. Rafters are up and the roof is taking shape. Workers spent time splitting Tamarack shakes for roofing. Big trees are better because they have more material available without knots. A mountain lion was sighted while guys were out felling a tree. There are also concerns about black bears so some people are packing but to date no one has been bothered. A discussion ensues about the awesomeness of the electric vehicles. and the importance of timely maintenance. And, kudos to all who participated in garbage pick-up.
Second, Brennan did a masterful impersonation of Spiderman while tacking up cardboard on the roof of the office/garage on the hottest day of the summer so far. Third, Charlie found a spring but, unfortunately, it's probably on USFS land. Baby goats love trucks and the LGD is stern with a chicken.
Fourth, the paid position of kitchen commander is being offered.
Fifth, there are a couple of workshops coming up: rocket mass heater and the farmstead meatsmith guys. Owen Halbutzel is visiting and a podcast is forthcoming.
Sixth, the toxic gick, which turned out to be diazinon, was removed from the future intern storage area.
Seventh, a friendly neighbor sprayed a little 2-4-D on the edges of the property. Hopefully, that won't happen again.
Finally, everyone cheated and let Paul win at poker...
There are gobs of pictures from the land here
You can discuss this podcast on this thread at Permies.]]>Paul WheatonyesPodcast 258 – Review of Paul’s Meeting with Joel Salatin Part 2https://richsoil.com/permaculture/3680-podcast-258-review-of-pauls-meeting-with-joel-salatin-part-2
Tue, 09 Jul 2013 00:38:16 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=3680<p>Credit: Susan McGuiness Joel Salatin has many excellent ideas about making one's farm into a viable business. See: You Can Farm: The Entrepreneur's Guide to Start and Succeed in a Farming Enterprise and Pastured Poultry Profits. These are his 2 books on the subject, classics in the field. Currently, Joel Salatin says he gets 25% […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Credit: Susan McGuiness Joel Salatin has many excellent ideas about making one's farm into a viable business. See: You Can Farm: The Entrepreneur's Guide to Start and Succeed in a Farming Enterprise and Pastured Poultry Profits.Joel Salatin has many excellent ideas about making one's farm into a viable business. See: You Can Farm: The Entrepreneur's Guide to Start and Succeed in a Farming Enterprise and Pastured Poultry Profits. These are his 2 books on the subject, classics in the field.
Currently, Joel Salatin says he gets 25% of his income from on-farm sales, 30% from chefs in restaurants and 45% from buyers' clubs. The buyers' clubs establishment story was quite interesting. The contrast with farmers' market trading was clear. Azure Standard and SPUD facilitate buyers' club type of marketing. This model cuts out the middle man and could be part of the future of farming.
If someone has done it, it can be done: Modifying and innovating using the design principles of permaculture include challenges. Weaning oneself off the desire for a road map or recipe book is among the first of these. See Permaculture: A Designers' Manual by Bill Mollison. Owen Hablutzel is one of the lead instructors on a rigorous PDC in Utah, July 14 - 27, 2013 at True Nature Farm. The material states that their certification does not include woo-woo. Paul reiterated that purple (more spiritual) PDCs have value for the people who will enjoy that and he is glad that there also exist 'brown' (more practical) PDCs. Garrett said that as he continues his permaculture education he intends to go on a 'purple' PDC to increase his education. Paul, 'brown' in approach as if you didn't know, reminded us that the PDC he took was rather 'purple' and that he had a very good time.
Assets are liabilities: According to Joel Salatin when going into farming one has to know or at least have a plan for what one is going to do + a business plan. Multi-function and earning-its- keep are important principles. Ratio of infrastructure to income illustrate how seriously in-debt it's possible to be as a farmer. Joel Salatin's model offers alternatives.

Knowing when to say 'No': Speaks for itself.
Joel Salatin's internship process was discussed in some detail.
Aligning with local nature: For example, calving should occur when the deer in one's area are having fawns.
White collar salary: Make proper money being a farmer.
Get more out of each acre.
One + One = Three: Work with people who like doing what you don't. No one can do everything so find people, or encourage family members, who compliment you and encourage them to develop their area(s) of expertise. This multiplies diversity.
Good enough is perfect: Speaks for itself.
Unfair advantage: Create your own. It's easy to get hung up when comparing one's situation with others', don't fall for that. Figure out what your advantage is and use that or those, 'cause once one starts thinking this way the opportunities start becoming more obvious.
Breeding: Breed for strong stock. Do not medicate. Get pre-1940 publications for information on causes and solutions rather than falling for currently prevailing Big Ag. solutions which are largely pharmaceutical.
If it's worth doing, it's worth doing poorly: When you innovate or when doing something for the first time the result will not be perfect.
Pigs: Listen for yourself. Paul concludes this by saying decide what you seek in what you let pigs disturb.
Economies of scale: Work out how much time it takes to look after say, 10 laying chickens versus 100. It's about the same (especially with floorless,]]>Paul WheatonyesPodcast 257 – Review of Paul’s Meeting with Joel Salatin Part 1https://richsoil.com/permaculture/3672-podcast-257-joel-salatin
Sun, 07 Jul 2013 02:00:50 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=3672<p>Credit: Susan McGuinness Paul and Garrett start discussing their interaction with Joel Salatin in a restaurant in Moscow, Idaho. Lectures and workshops with both Paul and Joel Salatin had been held in late June, 2013 at Palouse Permaculture. Paul gives his grandfather's recipe for Basted Eggs. Punctuality issues: Paul likes to get to presentations early, […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Credit: Susan McGuinness Paul and Garrett start discussing their interaction with Joel Salatin in a restaurant in Moscow, Idaho. Lectures and workshops with both Paul and Joel Salatin had been held in late June, 2013 at Palouse Permaculture.
Paul and Garrett start discussing their interaction with Joel Salatin in a restaurant in Moscow, Idaho. Lectures and workshops with both Paul and Joel Salatin had been held in late June, 2013 at Palouse Permaculture. Paul gives his grandfather's recipe for Basted Eggs. Punctuality issues: Paul likes to get to presentations early, take questions from the early-birds and then start his presentation on time. They are in the panhandle of Idaho.
They went on to discuss what they had heard about Joel Salatin's new book, Field of Farmers: Interning, Mentoring, Partnering, Germinating, which will come out in October, 2013. In it Salatin writes about connecting farmers of a certain age (average in U.S. 60) and younger would-bes. This challenge is not limited to the States. The book speaks to both youth and elders. Paul brought up that this challenge exists also in the Permaculture Community i.e. Mike Oehler, who is looking for potential heirs. The initial expectations on both sides are impractical. It's about rites of passage on both sides. The youngsters need to learn about hard work and learning from mistakes and the elders need to re-connect with the young. They went on to say that Moscow, Idaho included a vibrant farmers' market. It seems that there are many sorts of communities in the area, some more savoury than others.Mike Oehler is a good example of an elder with high expectations who is open to having youngsters come to his place, be mentored and, maybe, participate in the inheritance. One very good point is that just the experience of having spent time with these elders is priceless.
Paul, while driving Joel, asked about going hayless. Joel said that at this point in his area, Virginia, he'd managed to get hay use down to 40 days of the year. He stores enough hay for 2 years. He has a system that helps him avoid owning, running, and maintaining hay-making machinery. Owen Hablutzel will be consulted on this issue.
Farmer wannabes: Joel spoke about newbes to the land near him who buy land and spend lots of money on the house, go way into debt for non-essential things and then have to go to Joel for food. Joel's principal is if you are serious about farming you buy your 10 acres not spending much on infrastructure before getting a return on the land.
In another car conversation Paul asked Joel about his take on Permaculture. Joel voiced concerns about the proportion of talk to do (too high), woo-woo and commitment to poverty (he's against it). Paul informed him that part of his mission is to help people run permaculture establishments in a profitable way. Joel then asked about Hugelkultur. Paul was delighted to teach Joel Salatin, whom he respects highly, about Hugelkultur. We wait, with interest, to see if Mr Salatin incorporates them on his property.
You can discuss this podcast on this thread at Permies.]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:07:37Podcast 256 – Paul’s Communityhttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/3618-podcast-256-paul-community
Sat, 29 Jun 2013 01:27:33 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=3618<p>Credit: Marianne Cooper Paul and Jocelyn are driving across Washington State Desert. The perfect time for a podcast. People are physically moving to the Base Camp including Paul's brother. Progress is being made and some of the 1st people that arrived, like Ryan, wanted to participate in necessary tasks like dropping a tree. As mentioned […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Credit: Marianne Cooper Paul and Jocelyn are driving across Washington State Desert. The perfect time for a podcast. People are physically moving to the Base Camp including Paul's brother. Progress is being made and some of the 1st people that arrived,...
Paul and Jocelyn are driving across Washington State Desert. The perfect time for a podcast.
People are physically moving to the Base Camp including Paul's brother.
Progress is being made and some of the 1st people that arrived, like Ryan, wanted to participate in necessary tasks like dropping a tree. As mentioned in the prior podcast, sometimes things take longer than expected. As Paul directed the wedge cut etc, the tree's notable lean (in the wrong direction) proved a bit of a challenge, but patience won and finally the wind blew in the proper direction and the Tamarack tree fell neatly near the site of the popper and future kitchen.
Paul begins to discuss the purpose for this podcast, the list of things to cover starting with lots of long term applications arriving and the challenges that are arising while talking with potential land dwellers.

* Couples. The norm seems to be that one has listened to the podcasts and their partner may have listened to a couple but is not "feeling it". Then comes the question "Why?". If that's the main question, then listen to more information and if you're not certain and committed, please don't come; it won't be a good fit. Couples/partners need to have a deep desire to help in the journey to prove Paul's system of sustainability, self-sufficiency, homesteading all wrapped in an environment that leaves a very small carbon foot print.
* You have to keep in mind that it's going to be hard work and hot; therefore, you must be committed to this project. Hiding and avoiding will NOT work for you or anyone else.
* If you have to ask "how will I make a living", think long and hard about coming. There is no guaranteed income although there is a neighbor building some cabins and there will be some paid positions. Anyone love to cook?
* Conflicts: Paul feels that too much down time leads to conflict. If the hours in a day are planned and the days of the week are structured, conflict will be minimal. If problems come about that need mediation, Paul will have final word. He also mentioned "Pair Programs" that seem to make office politics disappear.
* Stuff. At the moment, Paul is leading a caravan, which includes a U-haul full of stuff. Stuff is expensive and the more you have the greater the expense. For example, if all of your stuff could fit in a backpack, you could simply rent a bunk, you're mobile as well as agile and living frugally is done easily. Your future plans could be to build a "tiny home" and you'd probably be very content. If you have a U-haul full of stuff it limits your flexibility and causes demands on maintenance, living space and monetary need.
* In Paul's community, each individual will need less stuff on a daily basis since the community will have joint (Paul's) stuff. To accommodate storage of personal stuff not needed on a daily basis, Paul's considering adding mobile shelving units (that could be rented) inside of the auditorium. Most importantly, make sure you need something before bringing it. Please do not take something with the thought that you'll let the community use it; that will not be allowed. You can donate/give things to Paul that you think he could find a use for, but it will be given vs shared. This approach will eliminate conflicts that would surely happen if something is broke...]]>Paul WheatonyesPodcast 255 – Land update part 2https://richsoil.com/permaculture/3579-podcast-255-land-update-part-2
Thu, 20 Jun 2013 21:48:18 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=3579<p>Credit: Summary prepared by Susan Noyes This is a land update where Paul discusses with Ryan and Jesse things that were done this week: setting up a second tipi, conversations about a well, pooper, setting up tipis, green woodworking. The JetPack people were mentioned; their names are posted in the dining room at BC. These […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Credit: Summary prepared by Susan Noyes This is a land update where Paul discusses with Ryan and Jesse things that were done this week: setting up a second tipi, conversations about a well, pooper, setting up tipis, green woodworking.
This is a land update where Paul discusses with Ryan and Jesse things that were done this week: setting up a second tipi, conversations about a well, pooper, setting up tipis, green woodworking.
The JetPack people were mentioned; their names are posted in the dining room at BC. These are a group of people who have made BC possible. The house at BC is relatively new. It is small but will do. There is no house at TL at this time. There is a huge shop, an electric bicycle, and golf cart at BC. The electric bicycle kept up with the golf cart fairly well; it is very hilly between BC and TL.
There are cliffs in an area on the border that Paul would like to use as an introduction to videos. The roads are in bad repair; while a grader is needed, a makeshift grate may work. There are now cows and pigs on TL.
Ryan thinks Missoula is awesome. Paul says they have a great farmers market. Axmen has a tool museum; for homesteaders this is a mecca for alternative energy. There appear to be a lot of beautiful single women in Missoula.
The number one priority on TL is still the construction of a pooper.
You can discuss this podcast on this thread at Permies.]]>Paul WheatonyesPodcast 254 – Land update: pooper, well, fencinghttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/3566-podcast-254-land-update
Wed, 19 Jun 2013 14:31:06 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=3566<p>Credit: Summary prepared by Marianne Cooper This is the perfect early morning breakfast podcast as there's mouthwatering discussion about huckleberry pie (a member of the blueberry family) with Paul, Jessie & Ryan. They give us a land update us on what is going on at Paul's farm also known as "The Land" (TL). The discussion […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Credit: Summary prepared by Marianne Cooper This is the perfect early morning breakfast podcast as there's mouthwatering discussion about huckleberry pie (a member of the blueberry family) with Paul, Jessie & Ryan.
This is the perfect early morning breakfast podcast as there's mouthwatering discussion about huckleberry pie (a member of the blueberry family) with Paul, Jessie & Ryan. They give us a land update us on what is going on at Paul's farm also known as "The Land" (TL). The discussion quickly moves to "Hob Sauce" enjoyed at a local diner and "THE Man Sauce" sampled earlier by Paul in Bellevue, Washington.
BC - Base Camp. Jessie and Ryan experienced Montana storms in the comfort, or discomfort of a nylon tent. Discussion then moves to better weather events like exploring track hoe usage and time management. Bottom line, they all agree that every task, regardless of how simple it initially appears takes far longer than planned. Their focus was the pooper. They drew, discussed design, thermal mass, ventilation and roofs that would protect unpainted wood. They then spent time finding reasonably priced lumber, then a frustrating amount of time actually getting the lumber to the site.
Mud pumping well drilling was the next topic which also includes using dowsing rods to locate underground water. There is scientific question as to the accuracy & ligament usage of the rods, but they did experience the hangers moving on their own and after digging at the noted site, through dry top soil/clay, they did find wet clay.
An important plug for Missoula free-cycles was made after they noted the electric bicycle they acquired.
The discussion then moved to security and gates. So far a big metal gate was installed on one side and Paul's brother built and installed a wooden gate on the other. So far, people have driven around the metal gate which led Paul to down a few trees on either side. The wooden gate has been driven into, chained and pulled loose. Again trees were downed on either side and they were heading up to check the game cameras for evidence.
Paul's been working on the final touches on the Rocket Mass Heater DVDs - they should be out soon. Stay tuned.
You can discuss this podcast on this thread at Permies.]]>Paul Wheatonyes37:27Podcast 253 – Review of the earthworks workshophttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/3480-podcast-253-review-of-the-earthworks-workshop
Fri, 07 Jun 2013 18:49:25 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=3480<p>Credit: Summary prepared by Micky Ewing In this podcast Paul talks with Diego Footer & Joey D'Elia about the 3 day Earthworks workshop Paul held in San Diego on March 6-8, just prior to the 2013 Southern California Permaculture Convergence where Paul was the Keynote speaker. Paul and Diego start by talking a bit about […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Credit: Summary prepared by Micky Ewing In this podcast Paul talks with Diego Footer & Joey D'Elia about the 3 day Earthworks workshop Paul held in San Diego on March 6-8, just prior to the 2013 Southern California Permaculture Convergence where Paul w...
In this podcast Paul talks with Diego Footer & Joey D'Elia about the 3 day Earthworks workshop Paul held in San Diego on March 6-8, just prior to the 2013 Southern California Permaculture Convergence where Paul was the Keynote speaker.
Paul and Diego start by talking a bit about the recently announced PermacultureVoices conference that they conceived early this year and that Diego is organizing (in large part) for March 2014. Speakers will include Geoff Lawton, Toby Hemenway, Michael Pollan, Jack Spirko, Joel Salatin, Allan Savory and of course Paul himself. Get your tickets!
There was a short bit about Paul's "Replacing Irrigation with Permaculture" presentation last year. Since this presentation talked a lot about hugelkultur - Joey was pulling for a hugelkultur workshop for this March, but in the end Paul did the Earthworks workshop instead.
Then they began recapping the Earthworks workshop. Paul described the site for the workshop as desert-y. He described how the rains form a muddy river that ran down a road, onto the property and then into a creek, possibly bringing considerable pollution (eg. heavy metals) from the road with it. The mission for the site was to get more water onto the land but reduce the amount of runoff coming onto the property from the road, clean that water and then use it. The goals for the workshop: build a pond, a swale and a hugelkulture bed and reduce runoff from road. They also wanted to communicate the process for deciding what a site needs, where things go, where water should be directed etc. This is what the attendees most wanted: the very first steps in deciding what to do and how to do it.
Paul then talked about how Neil Bertrando dropped by before the workshop and told him the bedrock of the site was cracked. This concerns Paul greatly. He didn't know if he could seal a pond naturally (without a liner) under those circumstances. Paul came 2 days early. He found that Alden Hough, the site manager, had dug 2 test pits. Paul confirmed the cracked bedrock, but the test pits also showed clay/silt which made him feel better about the prospects for sealing the pond.
Paul then outlined the trajectory of the workshop. On day 1, they started out with some general info on earthworks, some Q & A then went to the site. They decided on some earthworks that were needed, including a pond high on the property to act as a settling pond and filter for water coming onto the property from the road. Then they got out the laser level and started planning out the work. They also did a simple soil analysis, using water and mason jars. They judged the soil to be about 15% clay - sufficient to do natural sealing
On day 2, the heavy equipment showed up, including a track hoe and a loader. People began clearing brush and digging the pond. Paul gave everyone a crack at using the track hoe. People with picks & shovels also went to work reshaping the driveway to try to limit the intake of water from the road. Paul described some of the details of the dam that held the pond, including a crown to keep it dry and solid.
That evening a heavy rain fell and filled the pond before it was as big as in...]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:33:03Podcast 252 – Mortgage Free with Rob Royhttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/3437-podcast-252-mortgage-free-with-rob-roy
Wed, 29 May 2013 23:11:48 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=3437<p>Credit: Summary prepared by Marianne Cooper Rob's published 15 books on a variety of building techniques and this conversation focuses on how to get to the point of obtaining land, planning, building for now and for the future and doing it debt free. Paul begins with an overview of some of the work Rob's done […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Credit: Summary prepared by Marianne Cooper Rob's published 15 books on a variety of building techniques and this conversation focuses on how to get to the point of obtaining land, planning, building for now and for the future and doing it debt free.
Rob's published 15 books on a variety of building techniques and this conversation focuses on how to get to the point of obtaining land, planning, building for now and for the future and doing it debt free.
Paul begins with an overview of some of the work Rob's done in the past. They touch on stone moving, heating and cooling structures via earth tubes, using thermal mass, insulations, storing heat (& "cool heat") building material both interior & exterior, air movement and direct combustion for stove efficiency. They talk further about the efficiencies and challenges of cordwood structures and the DVD/book of Rob's. Rob notes some of the advantages of not needing air exchangers with cordwood structures because of the nature of logs aka checks/cracks. He notes the lack of efficiencies if building with green wood. There's further conversation about timberframed/cob buildings as well as lime putty & mortar.
They move on to the economics of a mortgage free lifestyle and the deliberate path needed to get there. There are 5 "E"s associated with this method, 4 of which are mentioned during the conversation:

1. Grubstake aka keep your day job, save, reduce expenditures, save, change from a consumer to a conservative and save some more. Paul notes this will be different for everyone; what some people find a necessity, other can do without.

2. Find land. They both agree with the importance of having a list of priorities, budget, know how much work you are willing to do to "reclaim" land. Fire kill, abandoned gravel pits and other marginal land will always be cheaper or even free.

3. Build a temp. shelter, start in the spring as this shelter should be "home" for 3 - 10 months only. This will be used during construction of a permanent shelter and can later be converted for an alternative use like a shed, smoke house etc.

4. Build your home. You need some DIY knowledge to conserve costs but always ask/hire professionals/knowledgeable people for things you are unfamiliar with like electrical. Both Paul and Rob noted the importance of starting small with a good plan that will allow further additions. They note that it's easier to add on, should you want additional space and starting small and manageable is paramount. The key is to build what you can afford without debt and expand as your needs and budget allow. This approach is most apparent in the "Tiny House" movement and all of its merits.
Rob finishes by noting that with patience and a definitive plan, mortgage free living is obtainable and extremely satisfying.
You can discuss this podcast on this thread at Permies.]]>Paul WheatonyesPodcast 251 – Review of Sepp Holzer’s visit Part 5https://richsoil.com/permaculture/3411-podcast-251-review-of-sepp-holzers-visit-part-5
Tue, 28 May 2013 00:33:24 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=3411<p>Paul and Bill are back together again to talk about Sepp Holzer's visit to the United States in the spring of 2013. They start off talking about hugelkultur raised garden beds. Paul mentions about the issues he had with the way Sepp built those hugelkultur beds. First of all, he thinks that they were located […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul and Bill are back together again to talk about Sepp Holzer's visit to the United States in the spring of 2013. They start off talking about hugelkultur raised garden beds. Paul mentions about the issues he had with the way Sepp built those hugelku...hugelkultur raised garden beds. Paul mentions about the issues he had with the way Sepp built those hugelkultur beds. First of all, he thinks that they were located in a frost pocket. Then he points out that they were built too close together and that once the vegetation grows, it will be nearly impossible to go in and harvest. Paul was also disapointed that the beds were only 4 feet tall instead of the usual 6 feet. The last point he had was about the sticks at the top and pointed out that they would act as a wick and remove moisture from the hugelkultur beds.
Paul and Bill then talk about how windy the place seems to be and Paul likens it to Great Falls, where he recorded a podcast. Paul solution's to mitigate the wind effect would be to build tall berms. He hads that they would also act as a privacy barrier and reduce the noise from the road.
Paul mentions that he is sorry that he cannot have a dialogue with Sepp. Bill points out that it is probably due to the language barrier. Nevertheless, Paul is sad that he cannot get as much information from Sepp as he would like to. He mentions that during this visit, the only new information he got from Sepp was about not drinking too much rain water. Bill replies he thinks that in the future the Holzer AgroEcology team will probably cover the basics and then when Sepp will give workshops it will be some sort of a master class. He thinks that Paul would then get a lot more information out of that type of workshop.
They then talk a bit about the Holzer AgroEcology certification and Bill explains that the requirements are still being defined. They move on to talk about the visit of greenhouses that happened during the workshop. Paul points out that he is not a fan of greenhouses but that he was happy to see full ecosystems in the one they visited, although he voices many concerns. Bill and Paul agree to say that Zach Weiss does really advanced stuff with greenhouses. His website is Elemental Ecosystems One highlight of the visit is that Mike Oehler himself showed up and that was a big surprise to Paul who was not expecting to see him at all.
They finish the review talking about the great value of the Holzer AgroEcology certification because of the time requirement that is much longer than the one for a PDC.
You can discuss this podcast on this thread at Permies.]]>Paul Wheatonyes59:33Podcast 250 – Review of Sepp Holzer’s visit Part 4https://richsoil.com/permaculture/3397-podcast-250-review-of-sepp-holzers-visit-part-4
Mon, 27 May 2013 01:17:06 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=3397<p>It's Bill and Paul, back together again to talk some MORE about Sepp's visit to the United States in the spring of 2013. But first Paul puts in a plug for the Permaculture Voices conference that is going to take place near San Diego in March of 2014. Just about every cool permaculture and permaculture-adjacent superstar […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>It's Bill and Paul, back together again to talk some MORE about Sepp's visit to the United States in the spring of 2013. But first Paul puts in a plug for the Permaculture Voices conference that is going to take place near San Diego in March of 2014.Permaculture Voices conference that is going to take place near San Diego in March of 2014. Just about every cool permaculture and permaculture-adjacent superstar is going to be there. Michael Pollan, Joel Salatin, Allan Savory, Geoff Lawton, Toby Hemenway, (Paul Wheaton), maybe even Sepp Holzer (that's not for sure). Paul is not organizing the conference, but he has been in multiple consultations with Diego Footer (who is), and it looks to be very well planned. Bill says that they're going to try to get Sepp down there for the conference if it is at all feasible--if he's already in the United States doing teaching or consulting, for example.
Paul says that at the Bozeman Sepp workshop, he was housed with a lot of "pod people," and the general consensus with them was that things were being presented at too basic a level. Folks with less permaculture experience found it amazing. Paul points out that the Bozeman event was run by Michael Pilarski - Skeeter - and that affects things. Skeeter enjoys all the holding hands/singing songs kind of stuff more than Paul does. Skeeter is a joy, but Paul figures he's maxed out on singing.
Paul is excited that the Permaculture Voices conference is not likely to have much of that. He loves "grit" and "substance" in a conference. This is going to be a very professionally run conference and as such it's got a serious price tag. The early bird price is over $800 and the price at the door is likely to be $1400. The early bird money will be used to bring in the speakers and cover all of the many expenses that are bound to multiply. Thus, Paul wants to encourage as many people as possible to buy tickets as soon as possible. The sooner you send them a check, the more support you will provide to Diego and this tremendous event.
Bill notes that more and more "non-traditional permies type people" are becoming interested in permaculture and learning more about these things. He notes that tickets for the Sepp event sold slowly for a while, and then suddenly all the remaining tickets went fast--80% of the tickets sold in 20% of the time. He anticipates the same thing happening with this conference. Paul thinks this event is really going to move permaculture further into the general public consciousness. Also, San Diego in March is a really nice place to be! Buy your tickets, everyone! Go to http://www.permaculturevoices.com
Bill wanted to add something about what happened in Minnesota, the fourth stop on the Sepp tour. On one of the days that he got up super early, he took a drive along Lake Superior. Not far out of town, boom, you are in the woods. It seemed to him that living not far from Duluth could be both affordable and sweet. He checked out the real estate deals online and saw some great places at very low prices near Duluth and/or Superior. Yup, it's cold, but there's a lot you can do and the lake moderates winter temperatures a bit. So, for those of you dreaming of your own land, consider land near Lake Superior. Paul points out that land in Detroit is super cheap! Bill says yeah, but I'm talking about land that is very close to vast tracts of actual wilderness--places to hunt deer, catch salmon, etc. That's what's special about this land up north.
Bill is up on Flathead Lake, about two hours north of Missoula. Paul asked him what property costs in that area and Bill couldn't really say--he hasn't checked recently. He recommends checking out properties on the internet, starting with realtor.com and using Google Earth to get more information.]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:19:52Podcast 249 – Review of Sepp Holzer’s visit Part 3https://richsoil.com/permaculture/3369-podcast-249-review-of-sepp-holzers-visit-part-3
Fri, 24 May 2013 12:40:51 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=3369<p>Summary prepared by Julia Winter Paul and Bill are back, this time to talk about Sepp Holzer's five days in Bozeman, Montana. Paul feels like he has a lot more to say on the "pond" topic in Bozeman, and some other things, too. He has a list. At Bozeman, there was a big tent, with […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Summary prepared by Julia Winter Paul and Bill are back, this time to talk about Sepp Holzer's five days in Bozeman, Montana. Paul feels like he has a lot more to say on the "pond" topic in Bozeman, and some other things, too. He has a list.
Paul and Bill are back, this time to talk about Sepp Holzer's five days in Bozeman, Montana. Paul feels like he has a lot more to say on the "pond" topic in Bozeman, and some other things, too. He has a list.
At Bozeman, there was a big tent, with a rocket "mass" heater (lacking mass) in it. Everybody gathered under the tent, and Sepp "did his thing." He talked, interpreters interpreted, there was a lot of interpretive dance. Questions were difficult, as per usual with Sepp. You have to give just part of your question, so it can be translated, and Sepp tends to bull in and expound, not actually letting you finish your question. Paul's pretty sure it's Sepp's personality (and his culture - ed.) not just the circumstances of translation.
Richard was there, and he is awesome, and Paul really needs to get together with him on stuff. Richard has done great work with translation as well as with permaculture on his own land in Idaho.
On the first or second day, they decided to engage some of the trac hoes that they had. Paul thought that they weren't big enough. He guessed the biggest was 20 tons, and he thinks that 30 tons is what you need. (They got some 30 ton excavators by the end.) Paul was looking forward to see what happens with the trac hoes, but it ended up being kind of a let down.
Paul notes that when he works on land he tends to be iterative: he plans on doing stuff this year and then adding to it/changing it next year, and the year after that. He is disposed towards a more organic process. Thus, Paul is disposed to start up at the higher elevations on the land. He's also disposed to start in Zone 1/Zone 2 - start near the house. On this property, the highest point was nearest the house.
However, Sepp started digging holes on the lowest part of the property, near the road. Bill figures he was just checking out what was present, trying to find groundwater. Sepp was successful in that and hit water in one of the first holes that was dug. It was the one nearest the creek. Most of the holes dug were maybe 14 feet deep, but one of them was dug maybe 25 feet deep. To Paul it seemed like the deepest hole happened due to a lack of direction from Sepp to the guy digging, not from any grand plan or cool idea.
Bill recalls hearing that Sepp's first thought regarding this property was that since there was a stream he'd be able to create a large, impressive meandering pond, covering up most of the property. (He said this after they'd moved on to Minnesota, while having a beer.) However, the necessary water rights permits had not been worked out, and that guy upstream apparently had the right to take all the water during the dry season, so what Sepp could do was constrained.
On the hole that got water, it ran until it was running clear, and the water level ended up about 10 feet down. Sepp put a perforated PVC pipe down, then a bunch of river rock, then gravel, then he filled it up again. Bill thought of it as a mini-session on "how to cap a water well" and pointed out that the water from that could be used for irrigation. Sepp was not necessarily allowed to use the water that he had found, so he decided to cap it rather than simply refill the hole. Paul was not interested in this process, so he sat it out. He allowed that it's possible that the new well will continue to have water when the guy upstream diverts all the water and the stream dries up.
Paul was disappointed in that he didn't have any big revelations watching Sepp work this time. Bill wonders why Sepp didn't make at least a small pond around the spot where they hit water--it could have been an opportunity to d...]]>Paul Wheatonyes52:07Podcast 248 – Paul’s Farmhttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/3322-podcast-248-paul-farm
Wed, 22 May 2013 01:49:48 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=3322<p>Paul and Jocelyn start the podcast talking about the fact that Paul found his "Paulcano". They then move on talking about naming the farm and that many names were suggested. They move on to describe base camp(BC), how people ended up chiping in money to allow purchasing it and how Paul is happy to be […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul and Jocelyn start the podcast talking about the fact that Paul found his "Paulcano". They then move on talking about naming the farm and that many names were suggested. They move on to describe base camp(BC),Paulcano". They then move on talking about naming the farm and that many names were suggested. They move on to describe base camp(BC), how people ended up chiping in money to allow purchasing it and how Paul is happy to be part of such a community. Jocelyn mentions that workshops will not be confirmed until BC closes.
They describe]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:38:14Podcast 247 – Review of 2013 Sepp Holzer’s visit part 2https://richsoil.com/permaculture/3311-podcast-247-review-of-2013-sepp-holzers-visit-part-2
Mon, 20 May 2013 21:18:44 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=3311<p>Summary prepared by Cassie Rauk This is the sequel of Podcast 245 - Review of 2013 Sepp Holzer's visit part 1. In part 2, Paul and Bill jump right into to talking about the Bozeman event. He starts by telling us a story about Kristy flying into Bozeman on the same plane as Sepp Holzer, […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Summary prepared by Cassie Rauk This is the sequel of Podcast 245 - Review of 2013 Sepp Holzer's visit part 1. In part 2, Paul and Bill jump right into to talking about the Bozeman event. He starts by telling us a story about Kristy flying into Bozeman...
This is the sequel of Podcast 245 - Review of 2013 Sepp Holzer's visit part 1. In part 2, Paul and Bill jump right into to talking about the Bozeman event.
He starts by telling us a story about Kristy flying into Bozeman on the same plane as Sepp Holzer, needless to say she was super excited! Sepp was depressed while flying over the Rockies, and said that most of the trees and plants are dying. He gets frustrated because the fixes are so easy and could be transformed within a couple of days.
The Sepp event in Bozeman sold out very fast, it topped out at 50 people and Paul and Permies did a lot of help the even sell out as fast as it did. One of the Permie ticket winners is from Alaska and was able to talk with Sepp about permaculture design using things like crater gardens and earth berms and other techniques he can use to grow food in harsh environments. Sepp shared some of the techniques that he used in Siberia.
Paul was sick when the event started but it did not stop people from wanting to stay in the Permies house, Paul says his house was full of cool people.
The event was hosted at a 50-acre property with a very slight slope and a meandering creek that was dry at parts of the year. The landowner does not have water rights to the creek. Sepp did not really understand the water rights issue, but that may have been because of the language and cultural barrier.
They discussed a pond/lake that Sepp wanted to build on the site. The state and county bureaucratic mess can cause huge problems and Paul tells us that sometimes it is best to ask for forgiveness instead of asking for permission. It is best to do your homework up front before starting your project.
Sometimes the department of making you sad can be a real drag.
You can discuss this podcast on this thread at Permies.]]>Paul Wheatonyes54:40Podcast 246 – Botany in a Day Review Part 1https://richsoil.com/permaculture/3284-podcast-245-botany-in-a-day-review-part-1
Fri, 17 May 2013 00:22:34 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=3284<p>Summary prepared by Julia Winter Paul and Neil Bertrando get together to review "Botany in a Day: The Patterns Method of Plant Identification" by Thomas A. Elpel). This is the first of several podcasts all covering this one book. Paul wanted to cover this book via multiple podcasts because he's owned this book for years […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Summary prepared by Julia Winter Paul and Neil Bertrando get together to review "Botany in a Day: The Patterns Method of Plant Identification" by Thomas A. Elpel). This is the first of several podcasts all covering this one book.
Paul and Neil Bertrando get together to review "Botany in a Day: The Patterns Method of Plant Identification" by Thomas A. Elpel). This is the first of several podcasts all covering this one book. Paul wanted to cover this book via multiple podcasts because he's owned this book for years and he's had a hard time really grokking botany with the latin names and such.
The first part of the book was surprisingly accessible--Paul was worried, but it was easy to read. He's been meaning to read it for some time, having been given a copy long ago. Neil thinks that this book is going to continue to be useful because of the way it is set up--the pattern focus is helpful, and it has great info about herbal uses.
A couple of quick notes: Neil won one of the tickets to go to south Florida for a workshop on financial permaculture. The idea is to get permaculture folks together with people who would like to invest in repairing the planet. Also, Neil will be teaching his fourth PDC (seventh including those he's taught with others) in March (2013) in Reno, Nevada. Paul and Neil discuss their PDC preference for more technical versus more spiritual PDC activities.
Thomas J. Elpel lives in Montana (yea!) so Paul is especially happy about that. He then notes that there's a lot of alignment between Montana (intermountain west) and England (?). Neil notes that he has the 5th edition and the book has been adding more species and more information to cover more of North America. A quote: "This field guide is designed to give the reader the big picture of botany and medicinal plant properties. It deals more with patterns among related plants than with the details of specific plants. Because the style of the book is broad, the coverage is also broad."
Paul has video footage right now of about 140 different species of plants, and knows he needs to start putting more of it out. Neil shares Thomas J. Elpel's websites: www. hopspress.com and www.wildflowers-and-weeds.com . Neil and Paul hope YOU will go visit those websites (you can check out other books by the same author) because if Mr. Elpel has a big increase in web traffic, then maybe he will share some of his DVDs with Paul for viewing and subsequent podcast-reviewing!
Botany in a Day emphasizes learning plants in family groups, versus some other field guides that might list plants alphabetically or grouped by flower color. If you learn plants in terms of their families, you can learn about shared characteristics and shared functions. If you learn the scientific/latin names of plants, then you will always know which plant you are talking about, even if you are talking to somebody who speaks another language (like Sepp!!). Paul and Neil chat about the awesomeness of Sepp Holzer and what he's doing in North America with his own unique course of Holzer style permaculture.
"Nobody really cares how you pronounce the words, so just stumble through them however you can." Paul really likes this quote and plans to use this as defense against pedants. Neil points out that the scientific name of a plant (genus, species) will often give you useful information about the plant. Beyond species and genus there is family, and beyond family there is order, then class, then division. Knowing where a plant stands in this nested hierarchy will also give you useful information.]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:26:36Podcast 245 – Review of 2013 Sepp Holzer’s visit part 1https://richsoil.com/permaculture/3203-podcast-245-review-of-2013-sepp-holzers-visit-part-1
Wed, 08 May 2013 03:15:37 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=3203<p>Summary prepared by Julia Winter Paul starts by apologizing for not making any podcasts for weeks and weeks. He still has a bit of a cough anytime he tries to talk. Even though he's not back to normal, he's just got to tell all of you pod people about the workshop in Bozeman with the […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Summary prepared by Julia Winter Paul starts by apologizing for not making any podcasts for weeks and weeks. He still has a bit of a cough anytime he tries to talk. Even though he's not back to normal, he's just got to tell all of you pod people about ...
Paul starts by apologizing for not making any podcasts for weeks and weeks. He still has a bit of a cough anytime he tries to talk. Even though he's not back to normal, he's just got to tell all of you pod people about the workshop in Bozeman with the mighty, the glorious Sepp Holzer. He's recording this with Bill Schnieders who prescribes a week in Hawaii for the cough. Paul loves the idea of eating pineapple in Hawaii, or of going to the Bahamas in January, but he has not been to either of these places. There is a lot of permaculture stuff going on in Hawaii, especially if someone is into raw foods.
Paul says he thinks he got sick by being "too nice." He got sick on a day when he did nothing but help people who did nothing to help him in return. They "tolerated" his help, it doesn't sound like he felt a lot of love that day. He got a lot of hostility, did a lot of driving and had to stay in a disgusting hotel late at night on the way home to Missoula. He woke up the next morning sick, and so it went for ages. He was sucking on lozenges through the entire Sepp Holzer visit.
Paul has described his eco scale many times. When you get to ecolevel 10, there is one person, and that person is Sepp Holzer. Paul still feels that this is true, and yet, he has (critical) things to say about his experience with Sepp. Last year, he noted that there were a couple of things he would have done differently with the land that Sepp transformed. He would have gone with smaller ponds, going up the hillside, and more behind the house. Sepp took an area that was a massive big flat gravel expanse, a dead zone, and he transformed it. Perhaps he deliberately went there given that he had a limited amount of time. It could be that he concentrated on that area for maximum impact.
Paul adores Sepp, but he seriously disagreed with more than one thing that Sepp did on the land at Bozeman. He was actually starting to feel angry as he watched what happened, such that he removed himself from the area for a while. This could be attributed to artistic differences between Sepp and Paul.
Last year, Jack Spirko came up for Sepp's workshop in Montana, and he recorded a podcast afterwards in which he expressed how disappointed he was in the experience. Paul agreed that what Jack said was true, but he disagreed with his conclusion (that it wasn't worth attending a Sepp Holzer event). Paul feels like the information coming from Sepp is so advanced that it's just really hard to translate it for other people. Bill recalls a concern that some people's questions were "shot down," but notes that some of those questions had been asked before (sometimes, less than half an hour before). He suggested that some of the problem may be cultural--europeans are not as open to questions as americans are. The language barrier is also definitely a factor.
Paul recalls that some people were asking "stupid" questions at that workshop, a year ago. Somebody asked Sepp what kind of liner to put in a pond. Bill shares that Sepp is tons of fun when he's off duty. When he is working, he is very focussed and doesn't have a lot of patience, doesn't suffer fools gladly. Paul recalls that he left the party, and had to go back to get Immo. When he got back to the party, Sepp calls out to him "Pole!!]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:20:44Podcast 244 – Mark Vander Meer on soil restorationhttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/3088-soil-restoration
Sun, 21 Apr 2013 21:34:03 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=3088<p>This is a presentation given by Mark Vander Meer at the 2012 Inland Northwest Permaculture convergence. Mark is a soil scientist who works as a wild restoration ecologist in Montana. His presentation focuses on soil restoration and is very much question driven. He starts off by talking about the water shed death spiral where the […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>This is a presentation given by Mark Vander Meer at the 2012 Inland Northwest Permaculture convergence. Mark is a soil scientist who works as a wild restoration ecologist in Montana. His presentation focuses on soil restoration and is very much questio...2012 Inland Northwest Permaculture convergence. Mark is a soil scientist who works as a wild restoration ecologist in Montana. His presentation focuses on soil restoration and is very much question driven.
He starts off by talking about the water shed death spiral where the soil looses its ability to hold water. Mark identifies three main reasons for that to occur: Compaction, roads, and loss of soil organic matter. He explains that the problem results in streams and springs disappearing.
He then starts talking about soil basic components (sand, silt, and clay) and the very important water stable aggregate. This last component is formed of sand, silt and clay held together mostly by fungi. The water stable aggregate is very important because it holds its form in the presence of water and allows the soil to keep pockets of air instead of turning to pudding. These air pockets are critical to biological life.
Mark explains that gardeners are very accustomed to creating water stable aggregate by adding compost to soil. In his work he uses slashing (the wood bits and branches left over from logging) to restore the aggregate after logging operations. He then explains that spreading slashing helps to decompact the soil and to restore biological activity. In turns this helps to restore the water shed health.
He concludes the presentation talking about road reclamation, deer pressure, and white rot vs. brown rot.
All of the document for the presentation are available at permies.com/mark
You can discuss this podcast on this thread at Permies.]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:18:35Podcast 243 – Food Choiceshttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/2984-food-choices
Tue, 02 Apr 2013 15:59:47 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=2984<p>Paul and Jocelyn talk about food choices, recorded not long after Paul gave the keynote address to the permaculture convergence in San Diego. People kept asking about "dietary restrictions" on this trip. Paul figured he and Jocelyn should make a podcast to go over food. "Everything in moderation, including moderation." For example, Paul loves pie, but only has […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul and Jocelyn talk about food choices, recorded not long after Paul gave the keynote address to the permaculture convergence in San Diego. People kept asking about "dietary restrictions" on this trip. Paul figured he and Jocelyn should make a podca...
People kept asking about "dietary restrictions" on this trip. Paul figured he and Jocelyn should make a podcast to go over food.

"Everything in moderation, including moderation." For example, Paul loves pie, but only has it a couple of times a month, because he's

noticed that pie takes away from his mental clarity. The big three Jocelyn needs to avoid are soy, dairy and gluten. She'd also rather

avoid carbs because she doesn't burn a lot of calories in her work.
Both Paul and Jocelyn are paleo or Weston A Price type eaters. Paul greatly values organic or better than organic food. If he can get

pure and raw dairy, that seems much better for him than commercial/pasteurized dairy. In general Paul avoids all dairy. He

is big on pastured meats, although he can be fine with good vegan food. Jocelyn feels a greater need for protein and meat. She eats

vegetables, meats and fats, mostly. She has found fermented foods to be very helpful for her health. Another great thing is wild foods,

like nettles.
Avoiding grains helps both Paul and Jocelyn feel better. Jocelyn notices more aches and pains the morning after eating grain or even

another starchy food.
Paul starts his day with coffee with either raw cream or coconut milk. Jocelyn puts organic butter in her coffee! They'll have breakfast

kale chips. For dinner, meat and vegetables. No quinoa required! Sweet potatoes are better than regular potatoes, and sunchokes are even better.
No beer, no wine for Paul. Jocelyn likes wine, but rarely drinks it because she feels it the next day. Paul will indulge in a stevia

sweetened pop, and enjoys water kefir, a fermented beverage. Paul is NOT fond of kombucha. Jocelyn avoids yeast, so that rules out

kombucha and kefir. Both prefer water as a drink.
Paul loves fruit, and will pick a fruity dessert (pie!) over another one. Also, just plain fruit: apples, pineapple.
Paul notes that now that he's no longer cooking for his son, he hardly ever cooks. He eats "bachelor food" which he turns to only when he's too hungry to continue. Paul is open to trying raw food, but he's not into the complicated preparation needed. He is a big fan of community meals. He would much rather stay with local people than stay at a hotel or bed and breakfast, when traveling. If he feels like he's going to get the foods he likes, in the way he likes (community meals) then he's more likely to want to make a trip. (hint, hint). In summary: meat and vegetables, don't fear the fat. If you want Paul to come visit, tempt him with paleo food!
You can discuss this podcast on this thread at Permies.]]>Paul Wheatonyes52:19Podcast 242 – Just Enough Part 2https://richsoil.com/permaculture/2952-just-enough
Thu, 28 Mar 2013 03:02:49 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=2952<p>This is part 2 of a 10 part series Paul, Abe Coley and Rory Paige review the book Just Enough: Lessons in Living Green from Traditional Japan. This book, by Azby Brown, is written as a series of stories about the people of the Edo period of Japan, which was from 1603 to 1868. In […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>This is part 2 of a 10 part series Paul, Abe Coley and Rory Paige review the book Just Enough: Lessons in Living Green from Traditional Japan. This book, by Azby Brown, is written as a series of stories about the people of the Edo period of Japan,Abe Coley and Rory Paige review the book Just Enough: Lessons in Living Green from Traditional Japan.
This book, by Azby Brown, is written as a series of stories about the people of the Edo period of Japan, which was from 1603 to 1868. In the times leading up to the Edo period has many parallels to the world today and how they pulled themselves back from a potentially huge crisis. The basis of their culture was having 'just enough', living simply and zero waste, my like Paul's ideas for husp (Horticulture of United States of Pocahontas).
You can purchase the complete 10 part podcast bundle on the Digital Market.
You can discuss this podcast on this thread at Permies.]]>Paul Wheatonyes54:42Podcast 241 – Ernie and Erica on Rocket Stoves Uses and Efficiencyhttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/2925-podcast-241-rocket-stoves-efficienc
Wed, 06 Mar 2013 16:01:37 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=2925<p>It's time to talk about rocket stoves mass heaters again! We haven't had a podcast with Paul, Ernie and Erica since last year, after the GIGANTO rocket stove workshop. After they recorded that podcast they were actually inspired to go out and do some more fire stuff, so they can talk about that here. But […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>It's time to talk about rocket stoves mass heaters again! We haven't had a podcast with Paul, Ernie and Erica since last year, after the GIGANTO rocket stove workshop. After they recorded that podcast they were actually inspired to go out and do some m...Kickstarter. (If you haven't watched the video there, just stop and go there, now. It's funny.) The goal has been met, so the 4 DVDs will be produced, but Paul isn't sure how many extras he's going to press, if he even does that at all. (So, have you bought the DVDs via the Kickstarter yet? Have you, huh?)
If the Kickstarter can break $100,000 (that's just 1,000 people buying 4 DVD sets) then Paul will be able to move forward with his plans for world domination by saving the world. (He will be able to finally buy some land in Montana.) Erica points out that Paul is the one that got Caleb, the hot water dude, together with her and Ernie for this workshop (this will be the boom-squish DVD), and that may never happen again. Erica thinks the most popular DVD will be the fire science one, because the stuff on there is so incredibly cool you want to show it to your grandchildren. Paul says the vast majority of buyers are getting all 4 DVDs, with the most popular single DVD being "Sneaky Heat" and the next most popular being the Fire Science. Erica is relieved that the least popular single purchase is Boom-Squish, because it really IS that dangerous. That video is going to have lots of tape of people saying just how incredibly dangerous steam can be. Erica tells Paul he really needs to video his neighbour who actually was present (but not too close) at a steam explosion, for inclusion in the video.
Ernie wants to talk about cookstoves. Last fall at the end of the workshop, they ran an experiment pitting a J-tube rocket stove against a propane turkey cooker. They put the exact same pot on both stoves, half full of water. They lit both stoves at exactly the same time, so the rocket stove had to go through its warming up process before it could really start putting out heat. The propane cooker won by 3-5 minutes. This was a big surprise, and a huge disappointment. (Ernie later notes that they had used wet pine sticks as the fuel in their overconfidence.) Erica wishes they had weighed the propane canister to see how much fuel they went through, because boy that thing was roaring. It was very loud. Then they tried it again, this time having the fire going on both stoves and put pots full of water on at the same time. Also, this time they used hardwood in the rocket stove. This time the rocket stove won. They noticed that the propane stove had a pot skirt and so they made some modifications to the rocket stove, despite severe exhaustion (under extreme pressure from some gigantic guy with a video camera) and the third time the rocket stove boiled the water in less than half the time of the giant propane turkey cooker. They note that they were burning scrap wood from Caleb's lumber, and the turkey cooker was blasting through massive quantities of very dense fuel.
Paul notes that if they had sunk the stove into the ground, or extended the sleeve, or improved the "tinfoil hat" that they used in the third trial, they could have improved the performance even more. Ernie and Erica note that they could have used more insulation. Then, Erica points out that for actual real life cooking, as opposed to competitive pot boiling, you'd probably want a smaller system, not a more powerful one. When that same stove was used to prepare food for the 40 people at the workshop, the chef needed to do many things to try to moderate the heat output downwards.
Ernie moves on to the coolness of melting carbon steel ...]]>Paul Wheatonyes48:46Podcast 240 – Poo-Less: Shampoo and Soap lesshttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/2903-podcast-240-shampoo-and-soap-less
Sun, 03 Mar 2013 02:36:26 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=2903<p>Credit: Summary prepared by Susan McGuinness About the toxic gunk we rub onto ourselves, plus a bit about diet, and what to do about it. Paul and Jocelyn discuss personal hygiene strategies from their different cultural perspectives. Paul may be presenting himself as an example of germ-conscious but not overly-sensitive 'guy'. Jocelyn has various sensitivities […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Credit: Summary prepared by Susan McGuinness About the toxic gunk we rub onto ourselves, plus a bit about diet, and what to do about it. Paul and Jocelyn discuss personal hygiene strategies from their different cultural perspectives.
About the toxic gunk we rub onto ourselves, plus a bit about diet, and what to do about it. Paul and Jocelyn discuss personal hygiene strategies from their different cultural perspectives. Paul may be presenting himself as an example of germ-conscious but not overly-sensitive 'guy'. Jocelyn has various sensitivities (sinus, skin, hair, etc) and may, for the purposes of this podcast, be offering herself as an example of someone further toward hyper-sensitive. Societal and cumulative reactions are discussed. Both have gone shampoo and soap-less and both report good results with various amount of detail.
You can discuss this podcast on this thread at Permies.]]>Paul Wheatonyes43:02Podcast 239 – Maddy Harland on the latest issue of Permaculture Magazinehttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/2887-podcast-239-maddy-harland-on-the-new-issue-of-permaculture-magazine
Tue, 26 Feb 2013 17:49:46 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=2887<p>Paul talks with Maddy Harland of Permaculture Magazine and Permanent Publications. They talk about the latest issue of the magazine. Subjects they cover include horses, cob greenhouse, cider press, Ben Law's latest book, and much more. You can discuss this podcast on this thread at Permies.</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul talks with Maddy Harland of Permaculture Magazine and Permanent Publications. They talk about the latest issue of the magazine. Subjects they cover include horses, cob greenhouse, cider press, Ben Law's latest book, and much more.
You can discuss this podcast on this thread at Permies.]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:28:48Podcast 238 – Permies Housekeepinghttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/2864-podcast-238
Thu, 21 Feb 2013 18:04:01 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=2864<p>Paul talks with Adrien about the state of the Empire. Paul starts the podcast by thanking the people who send him kind emails and gifts. They then talk about reusing Paul’s stuff, the upcoming podcast series, the political podcast, the upcoming Kickstarter on rocket stoves, Paul's new laptop, camera, cell phone, and headsets. They also […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul talks with Adrien about the state of the Empire. Paul starts the podcast by thanking the people who send him kind emails and gifts. They then talk about reusing Paul’s stuff, the upcoming podcast series, the political podcast,reusing Paul’s stuff, the upcoming podcast series, the political podcast, the upcoming Kickstarter on rocket stoves, Paul's new laptop, camera, cell phone, and headsets.
They also talk about coffee, PIPA/SOPA and piracy, food forest instead of orchard, LED lights, the new forums at Permies, the Sepp event, the book promo and the Daily-ish email.
Paul and Adrien conclude on promoting stuff at Permies for free, but also for money.
You can discuss this podcast on this thread at Permies.]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:22:00Podcast 237 – Sepp Holzer’s Permaculture Chapter 6https://richsoil.com/permaculture/2674-podcast-237-sepp-holzers-permaculture-chapter-6
Thu, 24 Jan 2013 00:56:40 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=2674<p>Paul talks with Chad, Zach, Bill and Judith about chapter 6 of Sepp Holzer's permaculture. They talk about Sepp's worldwide projects. They also talk about the upcoming visit of Sepp Holzer to the United States in March and April 2013. You can discuss this podcast on this thread at Permies.</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul talks with Chad, Zach, Bill and Judith about chapter 6 of Sepp Holzer's permaculture. They talk about Sepp's worldwide projects. They also talk about the upcoming visit of Sepp Holzer to the United States in March and April 2013.Sepp Holzer's permaculture. They talk about Sepp's worldwide projects. They also talk about the upcoming visit of Sepp Holzer to the United States in March and April 2013.
You can discuss this podcast on this thread at Permies.]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:34:33Podcast 236 – Interview with Sally Fallon on Raw Milkhttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/2616-podcast-236-interview-with-sally-fallon-on-raw-milk
Wed, 16 Jan 2013 22:42:48 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=2616<p>In this podcast Paul and Sally Fallon, co-founder of the Weston A. Price Foundation and author of Nourishing Traditions, talk about Raw Milk. The discussion first focuses on to the how pasteurized milk came to become commonplace in the markets and how raw milk is the ultimate super food. Raw Milk can help with behavior problems, […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>In this podcast Paul and Sally Fallon, co-founder of the Weston A. Price Foundation and author of Nourishing Traditions, talk about Raw Milk. The discussion first focuses on to the how pasteurized milk came to become commonplace in the markets and how ...Weston A. Price Foundation and author of Nourishing Traditions, talk about Raw Milk.
The discussion first focuses on to the how pasteurized milk came to become commonplace in the markets and how raw milk is the ultimate super food. Raw Milk can help with behavior problems, asthma, allergies, constipation, digestive problems, and help people with immune system problems (like cancer). Paul's brother had an allergy problem until he started drinking the raw milk from his goats. Paul and Sally also talk about how important fat is your diet and the butter fat in full fat milk may give you the fat that you need.
Sally tells us about dentist turned food advocate Weston A. Price who studied healthy, isolated people across the world and what was it in their diets that made them so healthy.
Although there have only been a couple of deaths from raw milk that Sally can think of raw milk farmers are demonized more than other small farmers are. They discuss enormous PR campaigns and scare tactics that they use to make people scared of raw milk.
Paul and Sally move on to discuss fermented foods, washing dishes and green cleaners.
You may want to check out the Raw Milk Symposium, Which is April 5 and 6 in Vancouver, BC Canada.
Credit: Summary prepared by Cassie Rauk
You can discuss this podcast on this thread at Permies.
Sponsor for this podcast: Pantry Paratus]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:08:55Podcast 235 – Review of a Pig in a Dayhttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/2579-podcast-235
Wed, 09 Jan 2013 17:42:43 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=2579<p>Paul meets with Brandon, Jocelyn and Richard to discuss pigs, butchering and charcuterie. Paul talks about the 3 videos that you can find on Brandon's website and how he appreciated watching them because of their art, humor and poetry talking about how you can best use pork, starting from the pig in the field to […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul meets with Brandon, Jocelyn and Richard to discuss pigs, butchering and charcuterie. Paul talks about the 3 videos that you can find on Brandon's website and how he appreciated watching them because of their art,
Paul talks about the 3 videos that you can find on Brandon's website and how he appreciated watching them because of their art, humor and poetry talking about how you can best use pork, starting from the pig in the field to home charcuterie.
He talks about how people get disconnected from their food, and how the need for love and care to the animals can extend to eating them.
Then they go on talking about Brandon's videos compared to a DVD called 'Pig in a Day' that they just watched prior to the podcast.
They talk about butchering technics and pig division and how it is all connected to regional culinary practices.
They go on discussing Hot Dog manufacturing which leads to a major part on sanitized meat versus the need of bacteria for good quality meat processing.
Brandon gives his thoughts on the 'pig in a day' DVD and talks about his love for small scale butchery, and the beauty in traditional practices. Nitrates in meat is discussed with curing and fermenting techniques for the meat.
Then they examine the killing and butchering of the pig step by step, with some anecdotes from Paul.
And finally they end the podcast with a list of notes from Paul :

* Legal practices to harvest your pigs
* Drying meat in the sun
* Brandon traditional services he offer to small scale farmers
* Pigs flexibility to thrive in different environments
* Barbed wires fences
* Tools to use and sharpening technics dvd
* Jocelyn discovering Rillette, and Brandon describing the process of making Rillette and more ...

Richard sum up with the importance of ethical treatment to make the pigs happy for a better quality meat.
Credit: Summary prepared by Bart Glumineau
You can discuss this podcast on this thread at Permies.
Sponsor for this podcast: Pantry Paratus]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:28:55Podcast 234 – Review of Introduction to Permaculture Design DVDhttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/2572-podcast-234-review-of-introduction-to-permaculture-design-dvd
Tue, 08 Jan 2013 22:24:04 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=2572<p>Paul, Jocelyn, Erica Strauss, from Northwest Edible Life, and Bella, review Geoff Lawton's Introduction to Permaculture Design DVD. You can discuss this podcast on this thread at Permies. Get all of the podcasts in convenient, giant zip files Sponsor for this podcast: Pantry Paratus</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul, Jocelyn, Erica Strauss, from Northwest Edible Life, and Bella, review Geoff Lawton's Introduction to Permaculture Design DVD. You can discuss this podcast on this thread at Permies. Get all of the podcasts in convenient,Northwest Edible Life, and Bella, review Geoff Lawton's Introduction to Permaculture Design DVD.
You can discuss this podcast on this thread at Permies.Get all of the podcasts in convenient, giant zip files
Sponsor for this podcast: Pantry Paratus]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:19:49Podcast 233 – Listener Questions with Ben Lawson Part 3https://richsoil.com/permaculture/2552-podcast-233-listener-questions-with-ben-lawson-part-3
Mon, 07 Jan 2013 04:14:30 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=2552<p>This podcast is the continuation of part 2 of this discussion between Paul and Ben. Paul answers Ben Lawson's questions. They talk about podcast issues, illustrations for the Empire, possible Zello Permies channel, and Paul's non-consulting services, and hugelkultur promotion. If you want to discuss this podcast, please go to this thread at Permies.</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>This podcast is the continuation of part 2 of this discussion between Paul and Ben. Paul answers Ben Lawson's questions. They talk about podcast issues, illustrations for the Empire, possible Zello Permies channel, and Paul's non-consulting services,part 2 of this discussion between Paul and Ben.
Paul answers Ben Lawson's questions. They talk about podcast issues, illustrations for the Empire, possible Zello Permies channel, and Paul's non-consulting services, and hugelkultur promotion.
If you want to discuss this podcast, please go to this thread at Permies.]]>Paul Wheatonyes59:59Podcast 232 – Listener Questions with Ben Lawson Part 2https://richsoil.com/permaculture/2549-podcast-232-listener-questions-with-ben-lawson-part-2
Mon, 07 Jan 2013 04:14:27 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=2549<p>This podcast is the continuation of part 1 of this discussion between Paul and Ben. Paul answers Ben Lawson's questions. They talk about different paths to promote Paul's work and permaculture. Paul talks gives updates about different things, including the land search and the podcast. This podcast continues in part 3. If you want to discuss this […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>This podcast is the continuation of part 1 of this discussion between Paul and Ben. Paul answers Ben Lawson's questions. They talk about different paths to promote Paul's work and permaculture. Paul talks gives updates about different things,part 1 of this discussion between Paul and Ben.
Paul answers Ben Lawson's questions. They talk about different paths to promote Paul's work and permaculture. Paul talks gives updates about different things, including the land search and the podcast.
This podcast continues in part 3.
If you want to discuss this podcast, please go to this thread at Permies.]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:31:27Podcast 231 – Listener Questions with Ben Lawson Part 1https://richsoil.com/permaculture/2543-podcast-231-listener-questions-with-ben-lawson-part-1
Mon, 07 Jan 2013 04:14:22 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=2543<p>In this podcast Paul talks with Ben Lawson of Cross Bull Ranch in Topanga, CA. Paul and Ben jump right in by discussing alternatives to using newspaper and cardboard when creating a new garden bed rapidly. Paul tells Ben that it is better to add a bit of texture to the landscape and using resources […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>In this podcast Paul talks with Ben Lawson of Cross Bull Ranch in Topanga, CA. Paul and Ben jump right in by discussing alternatives to using newspaper and cardboard when creating a new garden bed rapidly. Paul tells Ben that it is better to add a bit ...Cross Bull Ranch in Topanga, CA.
Paul and Ben jump right in by discussing alternatives to using newspaper and cardboard when creating a new garden bed rapidly. Paul tells Ben that it is better to add a bit of texture to the landscape and using resources you already have in the surround land. They then move into discussing HUSP and Paul's search for land.
Ben has big dreams on using a hydro-seeding techniques creating a quick seeding of permaculture approved planting. While it is an "instant farm" kind of idea, Paul thinks there may be permaculture applications in the future.
Ben asks Paul what he would do if he had a Blue Sky Budget, meaning he has unlimited money, and total public approval. Listen in for a bit of Paul's plans on world domination and plants for promoting permaculture.
Ben and Paul then discuss the movie Plastic Planet, although Paul has not seen it yet, he says he is going to add it to his list of films to watch. They then move on to discuss growing grains, to make flours for pies in particular.
This podcast continues in part 2.
If you want to discuss this podcast, please go to this thread at Permies.]]>Paul Wheatonyes57:06230 – Review of Hands-On Agronomyhttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/2518-230-review-of-hands-on-agronomy
Thu, 03 Jan 2013 18:49:08 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=2518<p>Paul and Helen Atthowe review the DVD Hands-On Agronomy. They talk about soil structure, amendments and fertility. They talk about limitations of nutrients accumulators. You can discuss this podcast on this thread at Permies. Sponsor for this podcast: Pantry Paratus</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul and Helen Atthowe review the DVD Hands-On Agronomy. They talk about soil structure, amendments and fertility. They talk about limitations of nutrients accumulators. You can discuss this podcast on this thread at Permies.
You can discuss this podcast on this thread at Permies.
Sponsor for this podcast: Pantry Paratus]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:17:46229 – Gourmet Restaurant Experiencehttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/2500-podcast-229-gourmet-restaurant-experience
Mon, 31 Dec 2012 02:42:10 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=2500<p>Jocelyn and Paul went to the Herbfarm restaurant in Woodinville, WA. They recall their gourmet restaurant experience there and use the restaurant as an example of what can be done to make the big bucks with permaculture. You can discuss this podcast on this thread at Permies. Sponsor for this podcast: Pantry Paratus</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Jocelyn and Paul went to the Herbfarm restaurant in Woodinville, WA. They recall their gourmet restaurant experience there and use the restaurant as an example of what can be done to make the big bucks with permaculture.Herbfarm restaurant in Woodinville, WA. They recall their gourmet restaurant experience there and use the restaurant as an example of what can be done to make the big bucks with permaculture.
You can discuss this podcast on this thread at Permies.
Sponsor for this podcast: Pantry Paratus]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:09:13228 – Spreading Permaculture with Geoff Lawton Part 2https://richsoil.com/permaculture/2226-228-spreading-permaculture-with-geoff-lawton-part-2
Thu, 15 Nov 2012 17:44:13 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=2226<p>This is part 2 of Spreading Permaculture with Geoff Lawton. Paul and Geoff Lawton continue their conversation about spreading Permaculture. They start off by discussing that there are enough people on the ground doing permaculture successfully and recording it, so the creditability is there to prove that permaculture is a system that works. Geoff says that Permaculture […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>This is part 2 of Spreading Permaculture with Geoff Lawton. Paul and Geoff Lawton continue their conversation about spreading Permaculture. They start off by discussing that there are enough people on the ground doing permaculture successfully and reco...Geoff Lawton. Paul and Geoff Lawton continue their conversation about spreading Permaculture. They start off by discussing that there are enough people on the ground doing permaculture successfully and recording it, so the creditability is there to prove that permaculture is a system that works. Geoff says that Permaculture Global shows people successfully using the practices of permaculture all over the world. Geoff tells us that if we can work with the world and stabilize the systems we can help save the world.
One of his most famous quotes is you can solve all the worlds problems in a garden.
They discuss the use of paper and cardboard in permaculture. Geoff recommends that you only use it once, if at all, and then move on to a permanent solution. Paul worries about the toxicity of the paper, Geoff tells us to trust in the carbon cycle that happens when the paper starts to decompose.
Geoff and Paul discuss the vast amount of high quality knowledge that is on the internet about permaculture. But we have to be conscious of information overload. Geoff says the key is to get the right information at the right time. If you sign up on his new website, he will send you new information in the right order.
Geoff then goes on the explain the difference between his PRI website and his new site: PRI is a news site that helps people set up PRI in their area and GeoffLawton.com is Geoff’s personal thoughts and experiences about permaculture. They touch on how Paul’s sites and Geoff’s sites have things in common and how they do differ, but they are both parts of the same whole.
By the way, Paul and Geoff are not in a competition, they want to collaborate on projects and share permaculture information with each other and the rest of the web.
They move on to discussing different parts of Geoff’s video. One part shows a paddock shift system and chickens. They then discuss the aesthetic of permaculture and food forest. There is an awkward ugly phase but given time, it will get better. Most people give up while it is still in the ugly stage. Paul mentions that many people are worried about what their neighbors will think, especially since most people are expecting weed free areas and straight rows.
Paul and Geoff finish up by talking about the magical world of swales. They are not just for warm climates any more.
You can discuss this podcast on this thread at Permies.Get all of the podcasts in convenient, giant zip files ]]>Paul Wheatonyes49:53227 – Spreading Permaculture with Geoff Lawton Part 1https://richsoil.com/permaculture/2211-227-spreading-permaculture-with-geoff-lawton
Wed, 14 Nov 2012 23:41:04 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=2211<p>In this podcast, Paul and Geoff Lawton talk about spreading Permaculture. At the time of the interview, Geoff is in the Dead Sea valley in Jordan. He is near the original Greening the Desert site, which he and Paul discuss along with the new Greening the Desert site, which is now 4 years in and […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>In this podcast, Paul and Geoff Lawton talk about spreading Permaculture. At the time of the interview, Geoff is in the Dead Sea valley in Jordan. He is near the original Greening the Desert site, which he and Paul discuss along with the new Greening t...Geoff Lawton talk about spreading Permaculture.
At the time of the interview, Geoff is in the Dead Sea valley in Jordan. He is near the original Greening the Desert site, which he and Paul discuss along with the new Greening the Desert site, which is now 4 years in and funded by teaching courses. They have a few interns and if you are interested, you can check out the Greening the Desert Internship page.
They also discuss how Geoff’s Food Forest DVD has taken the world by storm. Geoff is in the process of making a new film about food forests in cold and dry climates, with more in depth films on each climate in the future.
Geoff talks about how he was a part of the Permaculture Convergence in Northern California where he did a talk and a 5-day workshop. Then they discuss TEDx San Francisco where Geoff talked about Resilient Cities and the counter culture.
Paul and Geoff jump right into talking about Geoff’s new website, GeoffLawton.com and his new video “How to Survive the Coming Crisis.” They discuss getting the word permaculture and permaculture ideals in the minds of more people.
There are also plans to show some of Geoff’s videos in China, 10 countries in Africa and get some of the videos in Arabic. It is Geoff's plan to have up-to-date permaculture information available 24-7. It is time for mainstream media to catch up with permaculture. Geoff tells us about how people are starting to realize that there are food supply issues on the horizon and that we need to look at perennial food forest systems.
Geoff also proclaims that Paul is the Duke of Permaculture.
Paul mentions that he is doing Keynote speech in San Diego in March.
You can discuss this podcast on this thread at Permies.Get all of the podcasts in convenient, giant zip files ]]>Paul Wheatonyes53:13226 – Rocket Mass Heater Workshop Part 2https://richsoil.com/permaculture/2199-226-rocket-mass-heater-workshop-part-2
Tue, 13 Nov 2012 23:02:10 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=2199<p>Paul, Ernie and Erica continue their conversation on the Rocket Mass Heaters workshop that started in part 1. They first talk about an idea that was brought up during the workshop to put the exhaust in a greenhouse to help with plant growth. The concept is that since the exhaust from a Rocket Mass Heater […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul, Ernie and Erica continue their conversation on the Rocket Mass Heaters workshop that started in part 1. They first talk about an idea that was brought up during the workshop to put the exhaust in a greenhouse to help with plant growth.Rocket Mass Heaters workshop that started in part 1. They first talk about an idea that was brought up during the workshop to put the exhaust in a greenhouse to help with plant growth. The concept is that since the exhaust from a Rocket Mass Heater is only oxygen and carbon dioxide, the latter should help with photosynthesis. However, the exhaust from a Rocket Mass Heater is not always clean, especially at the beginning of the burn when the heat riser is still cold. The exhaust at that time can be smoky, contain pollutants and the extremely dangerous carbon monoxide. In short, the exhaust can kill people and plants.
Ernie points out that such a system would be risky every time and that it would just be a matter of time before someone forgets a step and causes harm. They all agree that fermentation is a much safer way to add carbon dioxide to the greenhouse atmosphere. They then talk about the issue of having a completely closed system at small scales.
The next subject that they cover in the podcast is the timberframedouthouse that Caleb built for the workshop. They point out that it used Paul's wheely bin idea. Erica then talks about the different composting toilets they saw on their tour. She expresses how uncomfortable the bucket composting toilets make her because of the risk of reusing the buckets by mistake.
They talk about the risk associated with handling poop and different safe composting toilet designs. They conclude the podcast by all agreeing that it is better to design systems that work for people as they currently are instead of people changing to work the system.
If you would like to discuss this podcast, come on out at the forum at Permies.com.]]>Paul Wheatonyes47:36225 – Rocket Mass Heater Workshop Part 1https://richsoil.com/permaculture/2181-225-rocket-mass-heater-workshop-part-1
Tue, 13 Nov 2012 01:28:11 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=2181<p>Buy Ernie and Erica’s detailed plans Paul Wheaton is with Ernie and Erica Wisner. They talk about the Rocket Mass Heater workshop held at Caleb and Krista's in Missoula at the end of October 2012. They point out that it was a great success that brought together many interesting people with varied skills. Ernie and […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Buy Ernie and Erica’s detailed plans Paul Wheaton is with Ernie and Erica Wisner. They talk about the Rocket Mass Heater workshop held at Caleb and Krista's in Missoula at the end of October 2012. They point out that it was a great success that brought...Buy Ernie and Erica’s detailed plans
Paul Wheaton is with Ernie and Erica Wisner. They talk about the Rocket Mass Heater workshop held at Caleb and Krista's in Missoula at the end of October 2012. They point out that it was a great success that brought together many interesting people with varied skills.
Ernie and Erica talk about how they travelled across the country to give workshops. They talk about some Rocket Mass Heaters they troubleshooted. They point out that it is difficult to get the manifold right the first time, especially since it is not necessarily clear in the Rocket Mass Heater book. Paul points out that Ernie and Erica have very complete plans available and that the Rocket Mass Heater described in those have been in used for at least one year without any issues.
Paul, Ernie and Erica then move on to the controversial hot water Rocket Mass Heater, also known as boom-squish. They emphasize that it is extremely dangerous and that unless one has lots of experience with pressurized hot water, one should not attempt to build such a system. On the other hand they point out that non-pressurized systems are much safer.
They talk about the big reveal that was one of the highlights of the workshop: a shippable Rocket Mass Heater core, manifold and barrel. They explain that the core is made out of a castable ceramic and that the system is 80% hotter than regular Rocket Mass Heater.
They also talk about few Kickstarters that are about to be launched: Two for the shippable Rocket Mass Heater and some for DVDs of the workshop.
This podcast continues in part 2.
If you would like to discuss this podcast, come on out at the forum at Permies.com.]]>Paul Wheatonyes51:25224 – Poop Beast Part 2https://richsoil.com/permaculture/2168-224-poop-beast-part-2
Fri, 09 Nov 2012 23:12:51 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=2168<p>Paul Wheaton and Heath Carrey continue their discussion on sewage treatment and poop beasts that started in podcast 223. They continue with their concerns on using the wood from the poplar project because of the pharmaceutical, the chemicals, and the heavy metals that could be present in the poop Kool-Aid. Heath talks about what the poplar project […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul Wheaton and Heath Carrey continue their discussion on sewage treatment and poop beasts that started in podcast 223. They continue with their concerns on using the wood from the poplar project because of the pharmaceutical, the chemicals,poop beasts that started in podcast 223. They continue with their concerns on using the wood from the poplar project because of the pharmaceutical, the chemicals, and the heavy metals that could be present in the poop Kool-Aid.
Heath talks about what the poplar project site looked like before he started and describes the planting technique he used for the poplars. He says that after only 4 years, one can see that soil is starting to build. Paul points out that the project is very much a monocrop. Heath agrees and explains that he was able to convince the authorities to also plant few other species. He points out that many volunteer species are starting to show up as well: elm, Russian olives, rose bushes, etc.
They go on and try to predict what the site will look like in the future. Heath says that in 40 years or so the canopy should start to close, which will change the composition of the ground cover. Paul predicts that after 120 years, heavy metals will have accumulated to a point where the trees cannot grow anymore.
Heath mentions that the current plan is to use the wood after about 12 years. Paul and him talk about a safer way to use the wood than making hard wood floors.
Heath talks about fungus breaking down chemicals and chelation methods for heavy metals.
They talk about all that is not known and the risk of screwing up the project because of the unknown unknowns.
Paul and Heath then talk about eliminating centralized poop treatment and the risk of some people screwing up the river by doing composting toilets wrong.
If you would like to discuss this podcast, come on out at the forum at Permies.com.]]>Paul Wheatonyes45:28223 – Poop Beast Part 1https://richsoil.com/permaculture/2150-223-poop-beast-part-1
Fri, 09 Nov 2012 01:03:01 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=2150<p>After visiting Missoula's wastewater treatment plant, Paul and Heath Carrey from Montana organization of Soil scientist talk about human bodily waste management and poop beasts. They talk about the poplar project of the Missoula wastewater treatment plant to process poop Kool-Aid by putting it on a plot of poplar trees as a way to reduce the amount of […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>After visiting Missoula's wastewater treatment plant, Paul and Heath Carrey from Montana organization of Soil scientist talk about human bodily waste management and poop beasts. They talk about the poplar project of the Missoula wastewater treatment pl...poop beasts.
They talk about the poplar project of the Missoula wastewater treatment plant to process poop Kool-Aid by putting it on a plot of poplar trees as a way to reduce the amount of affluent going into the Clark Fork river.
Heath talks about the evolution of the wastewater treatment plant from the opening in 1962. He mentions that the plant includes very expensive technology that takes lots of energy and money to maintain and upgrade.
They talk about the negative effects of wastewater on waterways due to their pharmaceutical, heavy metals, chemicals, and nutrients content. He explains that the idea with the trees to use the nutrients instead of sending them in the river where they would be in excess. In the water, the nutrients are almost only processed by bacteria and can cause algal blooms. On the other hand, the trees use the nutrients for growth, will bind chemicals and pharmaceuticals and will build soil over time which in turn will take more water and nutrients. They list a few poop beast that could be used: poplar, cotton wood, willow.
Heath talks about the issue with water volume in sewage treatment plants. He and Paul explain that the volume issue can be mitigated by putting an aerator on the kitchen sink faucet, using low flow shower heads, installing greywater systems, going poo-less. Paul suggests a scale where 1 would be reducing the water going in the sewer and 10 would be composting toilet with urine diversion and greywater system (eliminating the need for sewers).
Paul and Heath emphasize that it is not a good idea to use the compost from the trees growing on sewage sludge on food crops. They also mention their concerns on using the wood from the poop beasts because of the pharmaceutical, heavy metals and chemicals that can end up in it. They mention that it would be fine to use wood and compost from the poop beasts if you know what was in the poop which is not the case with city affluent.
This podcast continues in part 2.Podcast 076 -Creating an Oasis with Grey Water 1

]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:00:00222 – Polyculture Food, Land Search Update, and Cancerhttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/2117-222-polyculture-food-land-search-update-andcancer
Wed, 07 Nov 2012 13:00:18 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=2117<p>In this podcast, Paul is in the car by himself and covers various subjects among which are polyculture food, land search update, and cancer. He talks about the Bullet Proof Executive. He mentions that he thinks like that author that grass fed beef is the healthiest food in a supermarket. Paul’s opinion is that grass […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>In this podcast, Paul is in the car by himself and covers various subjects among which are polyculture food, land search update, and cancer. He talks about the Bullet Proof Executive. He mentions that he thinks like that author that grass fed beef is t...
He talks about the Bullet Proof Executive. He mentions that he thinks like that author that grass fed beef is the healthiest food in a supermarket. Paul’s opinion is that grass fed beef is the only polyculture food in there.
He goes on and talk about the food from Sepp Holzer’s project in Dayton, MT. He recalls a discussion with Michael, the land manager, about how food grown in polyculture should be sold at a premium because it is healthier and tastier. He also talks about the importance of not irrigating for better taste and nutrition.
Paul gives an update on the land search and mentions that Kickstarter does not allow for real estate. His plan is now to do 2 DVD on Kickstarter. One of them will be about growing a lemon tree in Montana.
Paul is looking for seeds for his new farm: low tannin acorns, Meyer lemon seeds, etc. Start a thread at Permies.com if you have any.
Paul expresses his new theory on why the permaculture bigs are cranky people. He talks about needing an assistant.
He finishes the podcast with some thoughts on cancer and an update from Helen Atthowe.
Note:
The Kickstarters has not been started yet.

An assistant has been found but volunteers are much needed.]]>Paul Wheatonyes50:06221 – Paul Answers Permaculture Related Questions from Eivind Bjørkavåghttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/2105-paul-answers-permaculture-related-questions-from-eivind-bjorkavag
Tue, 06 Nov 2012 13:07:00 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=2105<p>Paul answers Eivind's permaculture related questions. They talk about chickens and Paul expresses again how he dislikes chicken tractor. Eivind talks about the book City Chicks by Patricia Foreman that he has been reading on the trip. He says how he is disapointed that the author thinks that one can only grow up to 20% […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul answers Eivind's permaculture related questions. They talk about chickens and Paul expresses again how he dislikes chicken tractor. Eivind talks about the book City Chicks by Patricia Foreman that he has been reading on the trip.chickens and Paul expresses again how he dislikes chicken tractor. Eivind talks about the book City Chicks by Patricia Foreman that he has been reading on the trip. He says how he is disapointed that the author thinks that one can only grow up to 20% of the chicken's feed whereas with the Chicken 2.0 techniques one could meet all the feed needs. They go on and talk about broody hens and how it is important for chicks to learn from a mama hen.
Eivind and Paul talk about community and how who you are with and not where you are is what makes a difference. Eivind gets poetic and says that permaculture can create a garden of Eden anywhere. They talk about aesthetic and of Friendly Haven Rise farm.
They end the podcast talking about next year's tour.
If you like this sort of things come on at the forums at Permies.com]]>Paul Wheatonyes27:05220 – Symphonies in Seed and Soil Permaculture Tour Recap Part 2https://richsoil.com/permaculture/2093-podcast-220-symphonies-in-seed-and-soil-permaculture-tour-recap-part-2
Mon, 05 Nov 2012 12:55:16 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=2093<p>In part 2 of the podcast where Paul, Jocelyn, and Eivind recap their permaculture tour. They talk about their time in the San Diego area where Paul did a presentation on replacing irrigation with permaculture. Then they talk about the Phoenix portion where Paul did his ”Thirty tinkerers in thirty minute” presentation. Eivind mentioned that […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>In part 2 of the podcast where Paul, Jocelyn, and Eivind recap their permaculture tour. They talk about their time in the San Diego area where Paul did a presentation on replacing irrigation with permaculture.replacing irrigation with permaculture.
Then they talk about the Phoenix portion where Paul did his ”Thirty tinkerers in thirty minute” presentation. Eivind mentioned that he thought urban permaculture was the most prevalent in this area.
After they left the Phoenix area, they went to Boulder, UT where Paul did his last presentation of this permaculture tour: “Making the Big Bucks with Permaculture”. Paul, Jocelyn and Eivind comment on how there is overlap between Paul's audience and Jack Spirko's at The Survival Podcast. Paul also praises Jack for his videos on permaculture. In Boulder, they also visited a farm: True Nature Farm.
On their way back to Missoula, they visited with Andrew Monkhouse who was part of podcast 100 on CFL Compact Fluorescent lightbulbs.
The last part of the podcast is about the post Permaculture tour portion where Paul, Jocelyn, and Eivind went to Place of Gathering in Dayton, MT to look at the Hugelkulture beds Sepp Holzer built in May 2012. Those beds are filled with polycultures of carrots, kale, mustards, etc.
The tour ends with a visit to Mike Oehler.
If you like this sort of things come on at the forums at Permies.com]]>Paul Wheatonyes37:45219 – Symphonies in Seed and Soil Permaculture Tour Recap Part 1https://richsoil.com/permaculture/2063-podcast-219-symphonies-in-seed-and-soil-permaculture-tour-recap-part-1
Sun, 04 Nov 2012 18:58:35 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=2063<p>The 2012 Symphonies in Seed and Soil Permaculture Tour is over. During this tour, Paul Wheaton, Jocelyn Campbell, Eivind Bjørkavåg, and Geoff Badenoch visited amazing permaculture sites in the Western United States and met many people. In this podcast, Paul, Jocelyn and Eivind try to remember all the different things that they saw that has not already […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>The 2012 Symphonies in Seed and Soil Permaculture Tour is over. During this tour, Paul Wheaton, Jocelyn Campbell, Eivind Bjørkavåg, and Geoff Badenoch visited amazing permaculture sites in the Western United States and met many people.2012 Symphonies in Seed and Soil Permaculture Tour is over. During this tour, Paul Wheaton, Jocelyn Campbell, Eivind Bjørkavåg, and Geoff Badenoch visited amazing permaculture sites in the Western United States and met many people. In this podcast, Paul, Jocelyn and Eivind try to remember all the different things that they saw that has not already been covered in previous podcasts.<!--more-->
They talk about Glenn Kangiser's cabin, THE most documented Oehler structure (Podcast 215). They mention about the multiple mechanical issues they had with the land whale, then talk about next year's tour. Eivind expresses how much better it is to actually visit the different places than to watch the YouTube videos or listen to the podcasts.
Paul, Jocelyn, and Eivind talk about the Santa Barbara portion where they visited with Art Ludwig and where Paul did a presentation. Then they talk about Bill Schnieders (Podcast 162).
They recall the Los Angeles portion where they checked out the Edendale Farm, an urban permaculture site with Welsh Harlequin ducks, Muscovy ducks, Black Soldier Fly larvae breeding ground next to red wigglers, double chamber cob oven, a porta potty converted in a 5 gallon buckets composting toilet, aquaponics, a gorgeous tipi and much more.
In the San Diego area they visited Paul and Molly Varese's farm, a conventional farm growing rare fruits, and Joey Delia's permaculture farm.
Lastly Paul goes into details about how to catch or remove cold air.
Note: Podcast 217 and 218 are the Art Ludwig ones. Podcast 216 is...well... the mystery podcast!]]>Paul Wheatonyes44:09215 – Glenn Kangiser on Oehler Structureshttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/2036-glenn-kangiser-oehler-structures
Sat, 03 Nov 2012 12:00:10 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=2036<p>In podcast 215, Glenn Kangiser and Paul Wheaton discuss Glenn's Oehler structure. Paul studies the underground cabin as Glenn takes him on a tour of the organic house on the Kangiser homestead in central California. In the beginning, Glenn read Mike Oehler's book and decided he could build it then began work on his unconventional home […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>In podcast 215, Glenn Kangiser and Paul Wheaton discuss Glenn's Oehler structure. Paul studies the underground cabin as Glenn takes him on a tour of the organic house on the Kangiser homestead in central California. In the beginning,Oehler structure. Paul studies the underground cabin as Glenn takes him on a tour of the organic house on the Kangiser homestead in central California. In the beginning, Glenn read Mike Oehler's book and decided he could build it then began work on his unconventional home that "Just sort of grew." Now Glenn's home is his own achievement. It has different levels, one that they call the studio apartment level, with one bed, wood stove, refrigerator and kitchen that they use as a living area in winter. Paul marvels at how comfortable the inside temperature is despite the difficult heat outdoors.
Paul steers their conversation toward wicking and clay soils, describing how moisture can wick from a distance and why it's necessary to stop the extraneous environmental moisture from reaching the inner weight-bearing logs. Glenn details for Paul his problems with frame stability, foundation depth, California earthquakes and the Oehler structure's Achilles' heel: flood, poor drainage and gophers.
As it stands, Glenn's cozy economic home has ample room for two plus guests, and Paul portrays the masterpiece as a work of art, something tangible that city houses with white square walls cannot compare too. With the cost well under $5000 for 2200 sq ft, Glenn's basic structure costs next to nothing if you take your time, even cut your own lumber, but especially by crafting the home yourself without the expense of an outside contractor.]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:09:12214 – Further Conversations on Bodily Fluids & Waste Management Part2https://richsoil.com/permaculture/2030-214-further-conversations-on-bodily-fluids-waste-management-part2
Tue, 23 Oct 2012 22:56:08 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=2030<p>Paul is in San Francisco with Carol Steinfeld author of Liquid Gold, where they continue the theme of bodily fluids, dog poo, composting toilets and other waste management techniques, equipment and methods.</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul is in San Francisco with Carol Steinfeld author of Liquid Gold, where they continue the theme of bodily fluids, dog poo, composting toilets and other waste management techniques, equipment and methods.]]>Paul Wheatonyes40:18Art Ludwig Podcast Introduction & Announcementhttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/2025-art-ludwig-podcast-introduction-announcement
Tue, 16 Oct 2012 22:31:50 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=2025<p>Paul describes the content of the two Art Ludwig Podcasts that are being offered. Visit http://permies.com/podcasts/ to get these two spectacular podcasts.</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Art Ludwig Podcast Introduction & AnnouncementPaul describes the content of the two Art Ludwig Podcasts that are being offered. Visit http://permies.com/podcasts/ to get these two spectacular podcasts.Paul Wheatonyes6:28213 – The Further Conversatons on Bodily Fluids & Waste Management Techniques Part 1https://richsoil.com/permaculture/2016-213-the-further-conversatons-on-bodily-fluids-waste-management-techniques-part-1
Sat, 13 Oct 2012 20:47:56 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=2016<p>Paul is in San Francisco with Carol Steinfeld author of Liquid Gold, where they continue the theme of bodily fluids, dog poo, composting toilets, and other waste management techniques, equipment and methods.</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul is in San Francisco with Carol Steinfeld author of Liquid Gold, where they continue the theme of bodily fluids, dog poo, composting toilets, and other waste management techniques, equipment and methods.Carol Steinfeld author of Liquid Gold, where they continue the theme of bodily fluids, dog poo, composting toilets, and other waste management techniques, equipment and methods.]]>Paul Wheatonyes36:04212 – Steve Heckeroth’s Farmhttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/2012-212-steve-heckeroths-farm
Sun, 07 Oct 2012 03:03:27 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=2012<p>Paul & Jocelyn recap the recent trip to Steve Heckeroth's farm near Albion, California, from the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco. They go over the aesthetics of his outhouses, his swimming pool and his electric tractors. They also talk about other stops on the tour.</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul & Jocelyn recap the recent trip to Steve Heckeroth's farm near Albion, California, from the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco. They go over the aesthetics of his outhouses, his swimming pool and his electric tractors.Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco. They go over the aesthetics of his outhouses, his swimming pool and his electric tractors.
They also talk about other stops on the tour.]]>Paul Wheatonyes17:03211 – Females Peeing Outdoorshttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/2009-211-females-peeing-outdoors
Fri, 05 Oct 2012 00:09:59 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=2009<p>Paul brings up the subject of women peeing outdoors and mentions how he has been trying to make a video on this subject for a long time and the difficulties in getting women to participate. Anna Birkas who is in the process of writing a book called "How to Pee Without TP", leads the conversation […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul brings up the subject of women peeing outdoors and mentions how he has been trying to make a video on this subject for a long time and the difficulties in getting women to participate. Anna Birkas who is in the process of writing a book called "Ho...women peeing outdoors and mentions how he has been trying to make a video on this subject for a long time and the difficulties in getting women to participate.Anna Birkas who is in the process of writing a book called "How to Pee Without TP", leads the conversation and describes in great detail the methods and maintenance of peeing in the great outdoors and doing so comfortably. She is also designing a line of pants for women that allow them to pee more easily when outdoors.
Jocelyn adds her views and observations as well.]]>Paul Wheatonyes37:01210 – Woodleaf Farm Orchardshttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/2005-210-woodleaf-farm-orchards
Wed, 03 Oct 2012 18:49:36 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=2005<p>Paul and Eivind are at Woodleaf Farm where they discuss yellowjackets and methods to control them and then they have a quick synopsis of the last few stops on the Tour. They revisit some of the things they have seen on the different farms they have visited. Paul tells of having his first orange off […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul and Eivind are at Woodleaf Farm where they discuss yellowjackets and methods to control them and then they have a quick synopsis of the last few stops on the Tour. They revisit some of the things they have seen on the different farms they have vis...Woodleaf Farm where they discuss yellowjackets and methods to control them and then they have a quick synopsis of the last few stops on the Tour.
They revisit some of the things they have seen on the different farms they have visited. Paul tells of having his first orange off of a tree, some of the chicken paddocks they saw and livestock guard dogs in the paddocks with the animals, and how to get through an electro fence without turning it off.
Eivind then discusses the progress of some of the orchards, and Paul tells the story of this kid who at the age of seven developed his own method and ideas of raising rare chickens and then sheep for wool production.
Then the discussion moves to their present location which one of their specialties is growing peaches.

They end the podcast discussing monoculture, polyculture and how it applies to orchards, along with some of the suggestions that Paul had for the orchards.]]>Paul Wheatonyes30:03209 – The Realities of Practical Permaculture – Dell Artemis Farmhttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/2002-209-the-realities-of-practical-permaculture-dell-artemis-farm
Tue, 02 Oct 2012 01:43:37 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=2002<p>Paul, Jocelyn and Eivind discuss the realities of practical permaculture depending upon environment, climate, soil and a multitude of other factors with Marina and Robert of Dell Artemis Farm. They talked about the challenges of practicing permaculture and farming techniques compared to the hypothetical notion of being completely self-sufficient from farming in any given environment. […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul, Jocelyn and Eivind discuss the realities of practical permaculture depending upon environment, climate, soil and a multitude of other factors with Marina and Robert of Dell Artemis Farm. They talked about the challenges of practicing permaculture...
Environment and climate also play a large part in the success or failure of permaculture techniques and that permaculture exists as a holistic "Way" of looking at the environment and "helping" things grow as opposed to "making" things grow. It is the idea that permaculture is an ever evolving set of techniques and ideas that further the development of self-sustaining agriculture, rather than a final solution.
The practical application of permaculture techniques and knowledge should be considered as an ongoing process that requires actual implementation on one's own, rather than speculation borne of reading and accumulating ideas without experimentation and application.
Even in the most successful of permaculture environments it would be practically impossible to find a completely self-sufficient farm because many of the tools and equipment are not manufactured on site.
Prior to that they discussed cleaning with vinegar, using Kombucha as a cleaning solution and avoiding lye in cleaning products. The conversation progressed to farming techniques such as growing hops for shade, how to persevere when things go wrong, distribution labor in a farming environment and using electric fencing for swine.]]>Paul Wheatonyes55:49208 – Planning & Goal Setting – Pt IIhttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/1998-208-planning-goal-setting-pt-ii
Sun, 30 Sep 2012 18:17:14 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=1998<p>This is part 2 of 2, Planning & Goal Setting. Paul talks with the folks of Dell Artemis farm about planning, goal setting, and structuring holistic resource management, along with leadership roles and decision making processes. </p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>This is part 2 of 2, Planning & Goal Setting. Paul talks with the folks of Dell Artemis farm about planning, goal setting, and structuring holistic resource management, along with leadership roles and decision making processes.
Paul talks with the folks of Dell Artemis farm about planning, goal setting, and structuring holistic resource management, along with leadership roles and decision making processes.

]]>Paul Wheatonyes43:39206 – Paul Wheaton – Natural Cleansershttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/1988-206-paul-wheaton-natural-cleansers
Mon, 24 Sep 2012 17:47:14 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=1988<p>The Symphony in Seed & Soil Tour 2012 live from the The Dogwood Diner in Dunsmir, California Over breakfast Paul, Jocelyn, Geoff and Eivind summarize the highlights of the Symphony in Seed & Soil Tour after six days on the road and two weeks out of Montana if the pre-tour events are included. They discuss […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>The Symphony in Seed & Soil Tour 2012 live from the The Dogwood Diner in Dunsmir, California Over breakfast Paul, Jocelyn, Geoff and Eivind summarize the highlights of the Symphony in Seed & Soil Tour after six days on the road and two weeks out of Mon...The Dogwood Diner in Dunsmir, California
Over breakfast Paul, Jocelyn, Geoff and Eivind summarize the highlights of the Symphony in Seed & Soil Tour after six days on the road and two weeks out of Montana if the pre-tour events are included.
They discuss the progress of the tour and the various "snafu's" that happened to date like the flat tire and the dead battery and some of the highlights from some of the presentations that have been given on the tour.
They answer questions from the last presentation (urban vs rural) that concern alternative cleaning products. They discuss the attributes of natural clewansers such as baking soda, vinegar, borax, salt hydrogen peroxide, citrus oil and other methods and devices for cleaning without having to use commercial cleansers.]]>Paul Wheatonyes49:15204 – Permaculture Presentation at Ludemans in Beaverton, Oregon – Part Ihttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/1985-204-permaculture-presentation-at-ludemans-in-beaverton-oregon-part-i
Thu, 20 Sep 2012 02:02:51 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=1985<p>Paul opens the podcast with a parrot joke and Jimmy Pardo playing music in the background. The Symphony of Seed & Soil Tour 2012 is at Ludemans Outdoor Furniture store in Beaverton, Oregon to give a presentation. Paul fields questions from the crowd concerning urban vs rural gardening, permaculture vs organic, and elaborates on topics […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul opens the podcast with a parrot joke and Jimmy Pardo playing music in the background. The Symphony of Seed & Soil Tour 2012 is at Ludemans Outdoor Furniture store in Beaverton, Oregon to give a presentation.Ludemans Outdoor Furniture store in Beaverton, Oregon to give a presentation. Paul fields questions from the crowd concerning urban vs rural gardening, permaculture vs organic, and elaborates on topics such as the Wheaton ecoscale, flourescence lightbulbs , HMO, Monsanto, hugelkulture, monocrops, polyculture, food production, deer, beavers, and how much land is necessary to have a successful permaculture project per person and the importance of having animals in the overall permaculture landscape and the tenets of veganism. There were also questions on how does one go from a perfect permaculture environment and make it profitable without traditional harvest and marketing methods. Different methods of creating income streams were discussed.]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:05:40205 – Permaculture Presentation at Ludemans in Beaverton, Oregon – Part IIhttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/1975-205-presentation-at-ludemans-in-beaverton-oregon-part-ii
Thu, 20 Sep 2012 00:56:11 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=1975<p>Paul answers more questions from the Beaverton presentation. Topics covered during the Q&A were having hugelkulture beds in conjunction with livestock, hugelkulture orientation, cattle feed, going hayless, reclamation of land, beneficial plants for reclamation, grafting and how to choose the ideal parcel of land to start fresh with permaculture. Also slopeland, wofati, rotational grazing, riparian […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul answers more questions from the Beaverton presentation. Topics covered during the Q&A were having hugelkulture beds in conjunction with livestock, hugelkulture orientation, cattle feed, going hayless, reclamation of land,going hayless, reclamation of land, beneficial plants for reclamation, grafting and how to choose the ideal parcel of land to start fresh with permaculture. Also slopeland, wofati, rotational grazing, riparian areas, retaining water and ponds.]]>Paul Wheatonyes52:40203 – Paul visits Joseph & Jacqueline Freeman of Friendly Haven Rise Farm – Pt. IIhttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/1962-203-paul-visits-joseph-jacqueline-freeman-of-friendly-haven-rise-farm-pt-ii
Tue, 18 Sep 2012 00:25:27 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=1962<p>Part II of the visit to Friendly Haven Rise Farm continues the discussion on voles, and then moves on to hanging beef, optimizing profit on the farm, bonding with the soil and being in tune with the land, teaching permaculture basics, turkeys and bees. A highlight of the discussion was their belief in the associated […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Part II of the visit to Friendly Haven Rise Farm continues the discussion on voles, and then moves on to hanging beef, optimizing profit on the farm, bonding with the soil and being in tune with the land, teaching permaculture basics,Friendly Haven Rise Farm continues the discussion on voles, and then moves on to hanging beef, optimizing profit on the farm, bonding with the soil and being in tune with the land, teaching permaculture basics, turkeys and bees.
A highlight of the discussion was their belief in the associated consciousness of raising the quality of food beyond just growing something to eat. Which encompasses some of the principles of biodynamic.]]>Paul Wheatonyes58:49202 – Paul visits Joseph & Jacqueline Freeman of Friendly Haven Rise Farm – Pt. Ihttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/1959-202-paul-visits-joseph-jacqueline-freeman-of-friendly-haven-rise-farm-pt-i
Mon, 17 Sep 2012 01:22:35 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=1959<p>Paul visits Joseph & Jacqueline Freeman of Friendly Haven Rise Farm in Battleground Washington while on the 2012 Symphony with Seeds and Soil Tour. The first podcast covers how they found their farm and the 68 things anyone looking for a homestead should take into consideration during the process of finding a suitable location, slug […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul visits Joseph & Jacqueline Freeman of Friendly Haven Rise Farm in Battleground Washington while on the 2012 Symphony with Seeds and Soil Tour. The first podcast covers how they found their farm and the 68 things anyone looking for a homestead shou...Joseph & Jacqueline Freeman of Friendly Haven Rise Farm in Battleground Washington while on the 2012 Symphony with Seeds and Soil Tour.
The first podcast covers how they found their farm and the 68 things anyone looking for a homestead should take into consideration during the process of finding a suitable location, slug management, ladybugs, bees, bats, woodchip compost, persistent herbicides , picloram , clopyralid half life, permaculture, biodynamics, cow manure, cow taming, hens and roosters, visitors dogs, livestock guardians, cats on the farm, and voles.]]>Paul Wheatonyes58:23201 – Paul talks with Richard Kutscher from the PDC in Montana. – Part IIhttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/1953-201-paul-talks-with-richard-kutscher-from-the-pdc-in-montana-part-ii
Sat, 15 Sep 2012 17:03:06 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=1953<p>Paul talks with Richard Kutscher whom Paul met at the PDC (Permaculture Design Course) and Sepp event in Montana. Richard has listened to all of the podcasts. They discuss a theoretical Permaculture ecoscale, and specifically Pauls definition of the Wheaton ecoscale, and Pauls ad-hoc permaculture ecoscale. The three sections of ecosections of Pauls environmental laboratory: […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul talks with Richard Kutscher whom Paul met at the PDC (Permaculture Design Course) and Sepp event in Montana. Richard has listened to all of the podcasts. They discuss a theoretical Permaculture ecoscale,Wheaton ecoscale, and Pauls ad-hoc permaculture ecoscale.
The three sections of ecosections of Pauls environmental laboratory: Permaculture, symbiculture and husp (Horticulture of the United States of Pocahontas) are discussed in detail as well. The question of whether permaculture is possible without the attributed ethics was covered and how some use permaculture practice as a weapon in discussions or what could be described as an attitude of permaculture elitism.
Also discussed was the recent visit to Bullock Brothers Farm on Orcas Island, the PDC and Sepp event.
Other subjects covered were the PDC in Dayton, the permaculture presentation at inland northwest in Missoula, November 9th through the 11th .]]>Paul Wheatonyes50:17200 – Paul talks with Richard from the PDC in Montana. – Part Ihttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/1948-200-paul-talks-with-richard-from-the-pdc-in-montana-part-i
Thu, 13 Sep 2012 21:45:15 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=1948<p>Paul talks with Richard whom Paul met at the PDC (Permaculture Design Course) in Montana. Richard has listened to all of the podcasts. They discuss a theoretical Permaculture ecoscale, and specifically Pauls definition of the Wheaton ecoscale, and Pauls ad-hoc permaculture ecoscale. The three sections of ecosections of Pauls environmental laboratory: Permaculture, symbiculture and husp […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul talks with Richard whom Paul met at the PDC (Permaculture Design Course) in Montana. Richard has listened to all of the podcasts. They discuss a theoretical Permaculture ecoscale, and specifically Pauls definition of the Wheaton ecoscale,Wheaton ecoscale, and Pauls ad-hoc permaculture ecoscale.
The three sections of ecosections of Pauls environmental laboratory: Permaculture, symbiculture and husp (Horticulture of the United States of Pocahontas) are discussed in detail as well. The question of whether permaculture is possible without the attributed ethics was covered and how some use permaculture practice as a weapon in discussions or what could be described as an attitude of permaculture elitism. Permatism?
Also discussed was the recent visit to Bullock Brothers Farm on Orcas Island.
Other subjects covered were the PDC in Dayton, the permaculture presentation at inland northwest in Missoula, November 9th through the 11th .]]>Paul Wheatonyes55:05199 – Inspiration Farm – Biodynamic Farming – Part IIhttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/1942-199-inspiration-farm-biodynamic-farming-part-ii
Wed, 05 Sep 2012 15:35:18 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=1942<p>Paul discusses biodynamic farming, gardening methods and philosophies with Brian Kerkvliet and Alexandra King of Inspiration Farm, an intentional community in Bellingham, Washington. Biodynamics is a spiritual-ethical-ecological and holistic approach to agriculture, food production and nutrition.</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul discusses biodynamic farming, gardening methods and philosophies with Brian Kerkvliet and Alexandra King of Inspiration Farm, an intentional community in Bellingham, Washington. Biodynamics is a spiritual-ethical-ecological and holistic approach t...biodynamic farming, gardening methods and philosophies with Brian Kerkvliet and Alexandra King of Inspiration Farm, an intentional community in Bellingham, Washington. Biodynamics is a spiritual-ethical-ecological and holistic approach to agriculture, food production and nutrition.]]>Paul Wheatonyes41:16198 – Inspiration Farm – The Challenges of Community Farming – Part Ihttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/1936-198-inspiration-farm-the-challenges-of-community-farming-part-i
Sun, 02 Sep 2012 20:47:12 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=1936<p>Paul discusses the challenges of community farming, living and working with interns and hugelkulture with Brian Kerkvliet and Alexandra King of Inspiration Farm in Bellingham, Washington. Also discussed are the various methods of permaculture, polyculture, hugelkulture, biodynamics, holistic plant & food systems, energy systems, building systems, management, marketing and future projects at Inspiration Farms.</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul discusses the challenges of community farming, living and working with interns and hugelkulture with Brian Kerkvliet and Alexandra King of Inspiration Farm in Bellingham, Washington. Also discussed are the various methods of permaculture,Paul discusses the challenges of community farming, living and working with interns and hugelkulture with Brian Kerkvliet and Alexandra King of Inspiration Farm in Bellingham, Washington. Also discussed are the various methods of permaculture, polyculture, hugelkulture, biodynamics, holistic plant & food systems, energy systems, building systems, management, marketing and future projects at Inspiration Farms.]]>Paul Wheatonyes42:31197 – Paul answers permaculture related questions from Chris Farley at Orca Islandhttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/1933-197-paul-answers-permaculture-related-questions-from-chris-farley-at-orca-island
Fri, 31 Aug 2012 02:49:31 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=1933<p>Paul answers questions from Chris Farley at Orca Island about cob building materials, urban permaculture, pond sealing, urban livestock/pets, pest control, water usage and gathering techniques and more.</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul answers questions from Chris Farley at Orca Island about cob building materials, urban permaculture, pond sealing, urban livestock/pets, pest control, water usage and gathering techniques and more.]]>Paul Wheatonyes42:32196 – Rocket Mass Heaters w/ Ernie & Ericahttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/1903-196-rocket-mass-heaters-w-ernie-erica
Sat, 25 Aug 2012 20:42:18 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=1903<p>Paul discusses Rocket Mass Heaters with Ernie & Erica prior to the Rocket Mass Heater Workshop (The Rockfest) coming up October 26th through the 28th, 2012 in Missoula, MT. Topics covered include details of the workshop and associated events.</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>Paul discusses Rocket Mass Heaters with Ernie & Erica prior to the Rocket Mass Heater Workshop (The Rockfest) coming up October 26th through the 28th, 2012 in Missoula, MT. Topics covered include details of the workshop and associated events.]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:47:37195 – Geoff Lawton on his Food Forests DVDhttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/1898-195-geoff-lawton-on-his-food-forests-dvd
Tue, 14 Aug 2012 19:04:34 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=1898<p>Paul Wheaton talks to Geoff Lawton, who will be answering questions at permies.com this week for his Food Forest DVD promotion. Paul and Geoff talk about detractors. Geoff talks about having self-sufficient fun, and the peacefulness and contentment of setting up a permaculture system. They talk about being able to use the word permaculture without […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>195 - Geoff Lawton on his Food Forests DVDGeoff Lawton, who will be answering questions at permies.com this week for his Food Forest DVD promotion. Paul and Geoff talk about detractors. Geoff talks about having self-sufficient fun, and the peacefulness and contentment of setting up a permaculture system. They talk about being able to use the word permaculture without taking a PDC, although it is good for everybody to take a PDC. Geoff suggests sharing the 3 ethics. Geoff talks about using mainframe holistic design that is more inclusive than exclusive. Geoff reviews Paul and Helen Atthowe's review of the Food Forests DVD. He finds the temperate climate to be easier to work with than the tropics. Geoff talks about black locust and its antifungal elements. Geoff talks about non-native plants making systems richer. Geoff talks about facilitating creative events in nature. He comments on nitrogen release in the soil. Geoff is thinking of doing a DVD on pattern, and is open to DVD suggestions. Geoff talks about the greening the desert projects.
You can discuss this podcast on this thread at Permies.Get all of the podcasts in convenient, giant zip files ]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:29:29194 – Surviving Cancerhttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/1896-194-surviving-cancer
Sun, 05 Aug 2012 16:07:11 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=1896<p>Paul Wheaton talks to Helen Atthowe again about cancer and the movie, The Beautiful Truth. Helen dislikes the lack of direct communication in the medical world, and shares some of her story with her naturopath. Helen was uninterested in doing radiation. Helen talks about the fear she experienced in the medical world. Helen compares looking […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>194 - Surviving CancerHelen Atthowe again about cancer and the movie, The Beautiful Truth. Helen dislikes the lack of direct communication in the medical world, and shares some of her story with her naturopath. Helen was uninterested in doing radiation. Helen talks about the fear she experienced in the medical world. Helen compares looking at the health of her body to the health of an agricultural ecosystem. Helen talks about mineral balancing. Paul rants about breast cancer and the ickiness behind it. Helen went to the Biomedical Center in Mexico, and had a really wonderful experience. It was much more human-to-human, natural, caring, and successful. The clinic uses the hoxey treatment. Paul and Helen talk about side effects. Helen comments on her doctor, and the movie, The Beautiful Truth. Helen shares that she had been taking an Emergen-C packet everyday for 5 years, which has aspartame. She also eliminated the soy, overheated oils, and honey from her diet. Helen shares about Gerson therapy as well, and alkaline diets. Helen talks about the relationship between sugar and cancer growth. They talk about "losing the bra." Helen talks about vitamin D and the need to get sun. Helen talks about helping people not be afraid.

Discussing the podcast.]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:06:23193 – Listener Questions and Landhttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/1894-193-listener-questions-and-land
Sat, 04 Aug 2012 01:49:10 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=1894<p>Paul Wheaton talks to Jocelyn Campbell about listener questions. The German-ish podcast, according to Paul, was a bust. Paul and Jocelyn stop to observe a mullein plant. Paul mentions his kickstarter towards getting land. Paul talks about a permaculture deck of cards. Paul talks about how the Nature Conservancy sprays a lot on their land. […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>193 - Listener Questions and LandJocelyn Campbell about listener questions. The German-ish podcast, according to Paul, was a bust. Paul and Jocelyn stop to observe a mullein plant. Paul mentions his kickstarter towards getting land. Paul talks about a permaculture deck of cards. Paul talks about how the Nature Conservancy sprays a lot on their land. The Forest Service isn't perfect either. Jocelyn talks about how Maddy Harland of Permaculture Magazine is taking a glass half full approach to permaculture. Paul talks about going shampoo-less. Paul suggests shampoo-less people get less bit by mosquitoes. They talk about deodorant, cancer, and body odor. Paul talks about a raw milk experiment. Paul talks about doing site evaluations. Paul talks about the book promotions and possibly getting Ben Law on permies to answer questions. Paul talks about criterion for his land hunt.

Discussing the podcast.]]>Paul Wheatonyes45:18192 – Greening the Sahara Deserthttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/1891-192-greening-the-sahara-desert
Wed, 01 Aug 2012 21:55:58 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=1891<p>Paul Wheaton talks to Owen Hablutzel about greening the Sahara Desert. 90% of the challenge with permaculture projects is the social and political dynamics. Owen talks about keeping humans and the ecosystem from being worked with separately. Organic matter does last in the Sahara, because there's 2 inches of rain on average per year. Thus […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>192 - Greening the Sahara Desertgreening the Sahara Desert. 90% of the challenge with permaculture projects is the social and political dynamics. Owen talks about keeping humans and the ecosystem from being worked with separately. Organic matter does last in the Sahara, because there's 2 inches of rain on average per year. Thus any form of hugelkultur does help. Paul talks about using biochar in the tropics. Paul talks about the book, the Poisonwood Bible. They talk about a holistic management perspective. Paul and Owen describe the Saharan landscape. Paul talks about the Sahara's potential to return to lush savannah and jungle. Owen talks about working with local social dynamics as they restore the landscape. Owen shares about the local people and their nomadic transhuman lifestyle. They talk about refugee camps, and wells and gardens there. Owen talks about the utilization of holistic management there. Owen plans to do some experimental projects with keyline there. Owen mentions the movie, The Man Who Stopped the Desert. They talk about salinity and rocks. Owen talks about being very adaptive, and listening to the people there. Paul suggests a wicking technique that might help desalinate the soil. Paul gets into zai techniques.

Discussing the podcast.]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:14:50191 – Resilience Sciencehttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/1884-191-resilience-science
Sat, 28 Jul 2012 00:04:04 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=1884<p>Paul Wheaton talks to Owen Hablutzel about resilience science and recent International Permaculture Convergence. They talk about work Owen's done in the Chihuahuan desert, utilizing keyline design in a very dry, cracked clay area. They talk about the Mimbres people who used to live in this area and their connection to willows. They talk about […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>191 - Resilience Scienceresilience science and recent International Permaculture Convergence. They talk about work Owen's done in the Chihuahuan desert, utilizing keyline design in a very dry, cracked clay area. They talk about the Mimbres people who used to live in this area and their connection to willows. They talk about bringing back plants from the seedbank, and using proper rotational grazing practices. Owen talks about the importance of learning the history of a piece of land before making decisions about what to do with it. They talk about salinization of the soil. Paul talks about conifers being allelopathic, and thus conifer forests make poor "climax" forests. They talk about human roles in making a healthy system. Owen shares about frogs coming into the area. Paul talks about Willie Smits bringing back rain in Borneo. They talk about using soil tests.

Discussing the podcast.]]>Paul Wheatonyes54:57190 – Raise Cattle Without Hayhttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/1882-190-raise-cattle-without-hay
Sun, 22 Jul 2012 20:44:39 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=1882<p>Paul Wheaton talks to Owen Hablutzel about raising cattle without hay. Owen is a certified practioner from Holistic Management International. He also works with permaculture and keyline frameworks. Owen talks about paddock shift system. Holistic management evolved into the paddock shift system. They talk about how you may get more forage regrowth in return for […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>190 - Raise Cattle Without Hayraising cattle without hay. Owen is a certified practioner from Holistic Management International. He also works with permaculture and keyline frameworks. Owen talks about paddock shift system. Holistic management evolved into the paddock shift system. They talk about how you may get more forage regrowth in return for practicing a paddock shift system. They talk about various types of grazing. They talk about plant over-resting, and over-grazing. They talk about the difference between continuous grazing and rotational grazing. Owen mentions the book, Kick the Hay Habit. They talk about the work and cost of hay vs. straw. They talk about plant nutrition for your animals, and what kinds of foods cattle will eat in winter. Paul talks about the value of texture in a landscape. They touch on mob grazing. Paul talks about replacing irrigation with permaculture, and utilizing hugelkultur.

Discussing the podcast.]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:29:39189 – Getting Landhttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/1880-189-getting-land
Fri, 20 Jul 2012 16:49:04 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=1880<p>Paul Wheaton drives to Ernie and Erica Wisner's house in the Okanagan Highlands to look at their new innovations in rocket mass heaters. Paul talks about the people who help out at permies.com, and how they are also helping themselves. He makes a few mentions of husp (Horticulture of the United States of Pocahantas). Paul […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>189 - Getting LandErnie and Erica Wisner's house in the Okanagan Highlands to look at their new innovations in rocket mass heaters. Paul talks about the people who help out at permies.com, and how they are also helping themselves. He makes a few mentions of husp (Horticulture of the United States of Pocahantas). Paul talks about building community and a reputation at permies.com, and how it can serve you. Paul talks about Jenny Pell from www.permaculturenow.com, and how you can submit a business plan to stay on the piece of land she is setting up. Paul talks about scoring deals on land, and yet being careful of the details before you commit. Paul talks about the benefits of starting with an intentional community. Paul is working on finding land. Paul talks about getting to know your land before you decide what your business plan will be. Paul talks about his future Paul Wheaton community, and how he would like people who come and participate to have listened to all of the electricity and plumbing. Paul shares about his Learn German-ish podcasts with Susanne Schneider. Paul encourages people to sign up for his daily-ish email. Paul talks about railroad ties, and how toxic they are. Paul talks about growing trees from seed.

Discussing the podcast.]]>Paul Wheatonyes47:19188 – A Good Road Part 4https://richsoil.com/permaculture/1878-188-a-good-road-part-4
Thu, 19 Jul 2012 22:06:34 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=1878<p>Paul Wheaton talks to Neil Bertrando about the book, "A Good Road Lies Easy on the Land," by Paul Zeedyk, which fits well with keyline design. They have established the concept of induced meandering. They talk about a surrounding circle of rocks and a "one-rock-dam" which keeps big chunks from filling your culvert. Neil shares […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>188 - A Good Road Part 4Neil Bertrando about the book, "A Good Road Lies Easy on the Land," by Paul Zeedyk, which fits well with keyline design. They have established the concept of induced meandering. They talk about a surrounding circle of rocks and a "one-rock-dam" which keeps big chunks from filling your culvert. Neil shares a pneumonic device for remembering where to spill the water. They talk about marking out where they would like ponds and dams to be. Paul talks about fjording, and keeping vehicle gick out of the water. They recommend a small black locust or mountain mahogany bridge. Paul talks about utilizing a paddock shift system. Paul talks about managing a large acreage, and starting his piece of land and Paul Wheaton community. It is similar to Siberia. Neil and Paul talk about a land situation people can come to and get started from, even without a large savings. They talk about benevolent dictatorship.

Discussing the podcast.]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:08:39187 – A Good Road Part 3https://richsoil.com/permaculture/1876-187-a-good-road-part-3
Wed, 18 Jul 2012 17:10:07 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=1876<p>Paul Wheaton talks to Neil Bertrando about the book, "A Good Road Lies Easy on the Land," by Paul Zeedyk, which fits well with keyline design. They have established the concept of induced meandering. They talk about rebuilding the crown in the spring. They talk about drainage failures and sediment movement. Paul says to slow […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>187 - A Good Road Part 3Neil Bertrando about the book, "A Good Road Lies Easy on the Land," by Paul Zeedyk, which fits well with keyline design. They have established the concept of induced meandering. They talk about rebuilding the crown in the spring. They talk about drainage failures and sediment movement. Paul says to slow water down before you get to a culvert, and to try and set up a system that doesn't require a culvert. Paul talks about a way around having a pond. They recommend to not mess with a road at all if it is functional - restrain from grating it, etc. They talk about watershed "preservation" organizations that require people to take their cattle off their land. Paul talks about proper livestock management, and allowing cattle in riparian areas. Neil talks about armchair environmentalism. The book recommends fixing the easiest parts of a road first. They talk about ditch maintenance. They talk about grade reversal, and proper use of culverts. They talk about replanting spaces that are locally adapted, rather than just "native."

Discussing the podcast.]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:11:14186 – A Good Road Part 2https://richsoil.com/permaculture/1874-186-a-good-road-part-2
Wed, 18 Jul 2012 01:24:08 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=1874<p>Paul Wheaton talks to Neil Bertrando about the book, "A Good Road Lies Easy on the Land," by Paul Zeedyk, which fits well with keyline design. They talk about berms, and good or bad places to put a road. It is good to put roads somewhere called the "tow slope," which is also a good […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>186 - A Good Road Part 2Neil Bertrando about the book, "A Good Road Lies Easy on the Land," by Paul Zeedyk, which fits well with keyline design. They talk about berms, and good or bad places to put a road. It is good to put roads somewhere called the "tow slope," which is also a good place to put a house. They talk about velocity of water and the sediment it can move. Neil talks more about induced meandering, and using it to keep the water in the landscape longer. Paul talks about how he doesn't like floodplains. They talk about bad "fixes" to rivers, channeling water. They talk about soil content for a good road. Paul talks about putting gravel back on his road every spring after scraping it away in the snow. They talk about road shapes - crowned, in-sloped, and out-sloped. Paul likes the idea of having trees by the road. They talk about drainage and various kinds of ditches by the side of the road. They talk about how wider roads require more input. They talk about "flat is bad." They talk about plants you can plant amongst gravel, such as wild chamomile (pineapple weed) or Japanese Knotweed.

Discussing the podcast.]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:16:33185 – The Good Road Part 1https://richsoil.com/permaculture/1868-185-the-good-road-part-1
Tue, 17 Jul 2012 01:52:04 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=1868<p>Paul Wheaton talks to Neil Bertrando about the book, "A Good Road Lies Easy on the Land," by Paul Zeedyk, which fits well with keyline design. Paul talks about making dams to form ponds. Neil talks about induced meandering, which allows streams to intentionally erode an area, which reduces the need to bring in heavy […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>185 - The Good Road Part 1Neil Bertrando about the book, "A Good Road Lies Easy on the Land," by Paul Zeedyk, which fits well with keyline design. Paul talks about making dams to form ponds. Neil talks about induced meandering, which allows streams to intentionally erode an area, which reduces the need to bring in heavy equipment. Paul shares about a bad experience of a group making a road. They didn't understand what it meant to build a crown. Paul would maintain the crown on his driveway every spring when the snow cleared. They talk about pot holes. The book focuses on good drainage and preserving the integrity and health of the surrounding land. The book asks how to allow the water to feed the landscape and reduce road maintenance costs. They talk about building a road with local, on-site materials. They talk about designing for emergency overflow in a dam. They talk about utilizing swales. They talk about creek restoration and Mark Van Der Meer. Paul admires Ben Law's approach to woodland management. They talk about different roads for different vehicles.]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:22:08184 – Farmageddonhttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/1861-184-farmaggedon
Sun, 15 Jul 2012 16:15:07 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=1861<p>Paul Wheaton talks to Jocelyn Campbell about the movie, Farmageddon, which profiles several small farms that were unfairly raided and destroyed. One family raised raw milk, which cured her son's allergies. Joel Salatin says that these raids were warrantless, and bad science. They talk about mixed motivations for participating in these raids. They talk about […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>184 - FarmageddonJocelyn Campbell about the movie, Farmageddon, which profiles several small farms that were unfairly raided and destroyed. One family raised raw milk, which cured her son's allergies. Joel Salatin says that these raids were warrantless, and bad science. They talk about mixed motivations for participating in these raids. They talk about not being able to simply buy from your neighbor, and how many fees organic growers have to pay and therefore charge their customers. They talk about oil and grain subsidies. They talk about how Americans do not have a right to choose what we eat. Jocelyn shares about being a "Bacterio sapien," and the health benefits of drinking raw milk. They talk about fear around things not being sterile. Jocelyn talks about how people, in their passion for something like living naturally, may become a bit extreme to the point that it is not healthy. Paul says to support the Farm to Consumer Legal Defense Fund. Paul shares a story about stevia, and the company Celestial Seasonings. Paul is going to set up a political links forum where people can discuss these issues elsewhere. Paul talks about Obama as a let-down, and his disgust with George Bush. Jocelyn talks about voting with your dollars. Paul reflects on what people can do.Discussing the podcast.]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:13:46183 – Behind the Sceneshttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/1859-183-behind-the-scenes
Sat, 14 Jul 2012 03:13:18 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=1859<p>Paul Wheaton talks to Jocelyn Campbell talk about the work that goes into "the empire." They talk about Paul's email river, participation in other forums, setting up recent workshops, and priorities for the upcoming west-coast tour. Paul and Jocelyn thank the staff and volunteers helping permies.com, as well as his tech-supporters like Paul Little and […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>183 - Behind the ScenesJocelyn Campbell talk about the work that goes into "the empire." They talk about Paul's email river, participation in other forums, setting up recent workshops, and priorities for the upcoming west-coast tour. Paul and Jocelyn thank the staff and volunteers helping permies.com, as well as his tech-supporters like Paul Little and the folks at coderanch.com. Paul shares briefly about his laptop-buying experience. Paul asks people check out the tinkering forum if they would like to help. They talk about NCAT.

Discussing the podcast.]]>Paul Wheatonyes47:01182 Lawn Carehttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/1856-182-lawn-care
Wed, 11 Jul 2012 16:59:46 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=1856<p>Paul Wheaton talks about lawn care with Susanne Schneider. She shares about her hugelkultur beds. Susanne has a lot of hawkweed in her yard, which is allelopathic and prefers acidic, compacted soil. Paul would professionally test the soil pH. They talk about earthworms, using lime, and setting your mowers high. Paul talks about his earthworm […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>182 - Lawn Carelawn care with Susanne Schneider. She shares about her hugelkultur beds. Susanne has a lot of hawkweed in her yard, which is allelopathic and prefers acidic, compacted soil. Paul would professionally test the soil pH. They talk about earthworms, using lime, and setting your mowers high. Paul talks about his earthworm habitat idea to deepen the soil. Paul sees permaculture purpose in having some lawn. He talks about planting things like crocuses, Roman chamomile, and yarrow for a mowable meadow. Paul talks about mowing and watering.

Discussing the podcast.]]>Paul Wheatonyes26:32181 – Mason Bees Part 2https://richsoil.com/permaculture/1854-181-mason-bees-part-2
Mon, 09 Jul 2012 21:00:33 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=1854<p>Paul Wheaton talks to Dave Hunter about mason bees and how easy they are to encourage. He distinguishes between social bees and solitary bees. One mason bee can pollinate a lot more than honey bees. Dave talks about what habits we need to shift in order to help mason bees thrive. He describes levels of […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>181 - Mason Bees Part 2Dave Hunter about mason bees and how easy they are to encourage. He distinguishes between social bees and solitary bees. One mason bee can pollinate a lot more than honey bees. Dave talks about what habits we need to shift in order to help mason bees thrive. He describes levels of bee awareness and responsibility, similar to the Wheaton Eco Scale. Mason bees can double or triple fruit yields. Dave talks about leaf cutter bees, and what mud is to mason bees. Dave says you can send bees in in the reeds they are in so they can be identified and better supported. Paul and Dave agree it would be great for Dave to do a TED talk.

Discussing the podcast.]]>Paul Wheatonyes1:00:58180 – Forum Etiquettehttps://richsoil.com/permaculture/1849-180-forum-etiquette
Sat, 23 Jun 2012 16:28:49 +0000https://richsoil.com/permaculture/?p=1849<p>Paul Wheaton talks to Jocelyn Campbell about some difficulty in running the forums at permies.com. Paul shares some history behind the 3rd ethic. Paul talks about fallacy. Paul talks about text-based communication, and positive/negative interpretation. He talks about not feeding the trolls, and focusing on sharing constructive bricks. They are looking for speaking gigs and […]</p>
<p>This post comes from the RichSoil.com <a href="http://www.richsoil.com/permaculture/">Permaculture Blog</a>.</p>180 - Forum Etiquetteforums at permies.com. Paul shares some history behind the 3rd ethic. Paul talks about fallacy. Paul talks about text-based communication, and positive/negative interpretation. He talks about not feeding the trolls, and focusing on sharing constructive bricks. They are looking for speaking gigs and farms to visit on their west coast tour. In the forums, Jocelyn suggests staying focused on the topic and not the people. They menti